LEADER OF THE HOUSE

Parliamentary Questions

Peter Bone: To ask the Leader of the House what recent discussions he has had with ministerial colleagues about the response time and accuracy of answers to written parliamentary questions.

Jack Straw: I refer the hon. Member to the answers I gave to him on 10 July 2006,  Official Report, column 1560W and to the hon. Member for Isle of Wight (Mr. Turner) on 19 July 2006,  Official Report, column 427W.
	I continue to have individual contacts on these issues with ministerial colleagues from time to time.

DEFENCE

Afghanistan

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the impact of collateral damage from operations in Afghanistan on the propensity of the population to assist the Taliban and other insurgents.

Adam Ingram: All instances of collateral damage are a source of profound regret and British forces take all available measures to avoid causing such damage. We know that the Taliban take no such measures when they indiscriminately target civilians with suicide bombs or improvised explosive devices.

Efficiency Savings

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the consequences are for the Department's overall budget of failing to meet targets for efficiency savings.

Adam Ingram: The Department is on course to achieve its efficiency target for the current Spending Review period. The MOD uses the savings generated from these efficiencies for reinvestment in key Defence priorities; any failure to deliver efficiencies would, in the first instance, result in pressure on the Department's budget.

Flight Training

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the planning assumption is for average monthly flight simulator training hours for the UK Joint Strike Fighter pilots.

Adam Ingram: Joint Strike Fighter simulators are still in the development phase. The UK's current planning assumption is approximately 10 hours of simulation flight time per pilot per month which includes mission rehearsal and flight currency training.

Flight Training

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the planning assumption is for average monthly flight training hours for the UK Joint Strike Fighter pilots.

Adam Ingram: The current planning assumption is that UK pilots flying Joint Strike Fighter may need up to 18.5 hours per pilot per month, to retain their competencies to fly and operate the weapon system.

Hercules Aircraft

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what representations were received by his Department concerning the vulnerability of the fuel tanks of Hercules aircraft prior to January 2005, with particular reference to  (a) 47 Squadron in 2002 and  (b) the period before and after the Falkland's war; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: I will write to the hon. Member and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.

HOUSE OF COMMONS COMMISSION

Air Filters

Bob Russell: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission with what regularity air filters in those parts of the main building with air conditioning are  (a) inspected and cleaned and  (b) replaced.

Nick Harvey: Air conditioning filters are inspected on a monthly basis. The majority of the filters are disposable and are not usually cleaned but replaced as soon as they become dirty. If the filters do not become dirty, they are changed on an annual basis.

IT Equipment

Michael Ancram: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission how many complaints have been made by hon. Members and their staff concerning Dell supplied printers since the new IT contract came into force; how many printers have been replaced; what the cost has been of replacement printers and parts for Dell supplied equipment; and under what warranty terms these goods are supplied to the House.

Nick Harvey: As of 30 September 2006 there were 1,424 Dell printers across the Parliamentary Estate, constituency offices and other locations.
	Figures taken from helpdesk records show that from 1 May 2005 to 15 September 2006 a total of 910 calls were received on all printers, including the Dell printers. Of these 263 could not be solved by PICT Service Desk and were passed on to Dell for engineering visits. In the early part of the contract a number of the calls logged with Dell were for printers not correctly set up but since the setup was by Dell engineers these were accepted as valid warranty calls.
	Included in the numbers above will be some repeat calls or visits for the same problem. Call categories range from advice on how to use the equipment, incorrect setup (which can usually be solved either on the phone or by a PICT engineer in Westminster), to mechanical failure which result in a warranty call being made to Dell.
	A replacement is only undertaken as a last resort and was for less than 15 printers. There have been some cases where PICT have taken a decision to replace a printer and then get the repair done in Westminster to minimise the inconvenience experienced by Members or their staff. The printers are supplied under a hardware warranty for four years with a next business day response. Parliament will have incurred no costs for any repairs or replacements except where the fault has been shown to have been caused by misuse, accidental damage or has been wrongly diagnosed as a hardware fault resulting in unnecessary warranty call being made.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

Coal Fired Stations

Alan Whitehead: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry 
	(1)  what the output of coal fired stations in the UK was in 2005;
	(2)  what proportion of the fuel burnt in coal fired power stations in the UK was  (a) energy crops,  (b) refuse derived fuel and  (c) wood in the last period for which figures are available;
	(3)  what proportion of fuel burned in coal fired power stations in the UK is derived from non-fossil sources; and what the proportion is in each such power station.

Malcolm Wicks: Table 5.6 of the Digest of United Kingdom Energy Statistics 2006, a copy of which is in the Libraries of the House, shows that 134,918 GWh of electricity was generated from coal in the UK in 2005. The Digest is also available on the DTI Energy website at:
	www.dti.gov.uk/energy/statistics/publications/dukes/29812.html
	Biomass co-fired with fossil fuels accounted for 830.7 thousand tonnes of oil equivalent in 2005, whereas coal burned in power stations was 32,617 thousand tonnes of oil equivalent. Allowing for the fact that coal fired power stations also use some oil for lighting up purposes, and that some co-firing takes place in oil fired power stations, biomass accounted for around 2 per cent. of the total fuel burned in coal fired power stations. The biomass used was from a variety of sources including sawdust, wood pellets, waste derived fuels, short rotation coppice, olive cake and pellets, tall oil, palm kernel expeller, palm oil and oil tallow. Statistics for these individual sources and for individual power stations are not available because they would disclose information provided by individual generators in confidence.

Fuel Stocks

Stephen Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry 
	(1)  what the statutory basis is for maintenance of strategic stocks of  (a) petroleum products,  (b) natural gas and  (c) coal;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the current levels of the UK's strategic stocks of  (a) petroleum products,  (b) natural gas and  (c) coal, broken down by (i) Government stocks and (ii) privately-held stocks.

Malcolm Wicks: pursuant to the reply, 9 October 2006, Official Report, c. 569-70W
	The figure for UK held oil stocks of 11.2 million tonnes reported in the last paragraph should be "13.5 million tones".

Marine Energy Accelerator Renewable Energy Project

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what funding his Department  (a) provides and  (b) has allocated for future years for the Marine Energy Accelerator Renewable Energy Project.

Malcolm Wicks: Since 1999 in excess of £25 million has been committed to support research and development of emerging wave and tidal energy technologies through the DTI's Technology Programme (formerly the DTI New and Renewable Energy Programme).
	In addition, £50 million has been allocated to a Marine Renewables Deployment Fund to assist the continued development of these technologies.
	The Carbon Trust's recently announced £3.5 million Marine Energy Accelerator Programme (www.carbon trust.co.uk/technology/technologyaccelerator/mea) is not receiving direct funding support from the DTI. The Carbon Trust's annual funding is in excess of £105 million in grants from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the Department of Trade and Industry, the Scottish Executive, the Welsh Assembly Government and Invest Northern Ireland.

Postal Collections

Daniel Rogerson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the final collection times are from Royal Mail post boxes in Cornwall; and what they were on  (a) 1 October 2003,  (b) 1 October 2004 and  (c) 1 October 2005.

Jim Fitzpatrick: This is an operational matter for which Royal Mail has direct responsibility. I have, therefore, asked Adam Crozier, Chief Executive of Royal Mail, to reply direct to the hon. Member on the issues he has raised over collection times.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Afghanistan

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps are being taken by his Department to promote the status of women in Afghanistan.

Hilary Benn: DFID's programme promotes the status of women in Afghanistan in a number of ways.
	DFID provided significant support to the election process in 2005 and has worked with the Government to strengthen the role of women in the democratic process. The parliamentary and provincial elections had a strong turn out (43 per cent.) of women voters. Currently, a quarter of the MPs in the Afghan Parliament are women.
	DFID's support to the Government's national programmes includes support to enhancing the role of women at community level. For example, the national solidarity programme ensures that women are engaged in determining community development priorities through the formation of community development councils. We also support the Micro-finance Investment Support Facility of Afghanistan (MISFA), currently per cent. of MISFA's beneficiaries are women.
	Through our Civil Society Challenge Fund (CSCF), we provide £500,000 to Womankind Worldwide for their Women's Empowerment Programme. This initiative aims to empower individual women, women's organisations and wider civil society with the skills and knowledge to claim and exercise their human rights and actively participate in political and civil affairs.
	The Government of Afghanistan is currently working with donors to define its strategy for development over for the next five years (the Afghan National Development Strategy). In that process, gender equality is being addressed as a key theme. The UK is actively working to ensure gender equality issues are fully integrated.

Afghanistan

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps are being taken by his Department to promote alternatives to poppy production in Afghanistan.

Hilary Benn: In financial year 2005-06, DFID spent nearly £50 million developing alternative livelihoods in Afghanistan. This is a tenfold increase on the amount spent in 2003-04. A proportion of this funding is specifically targeted on improving agricultural opportunities for Afghan farmers. This includes research to help identify, test and implement new crops and technologies.
	In addition to developing agricultural opportunities, DFID is supporting non-farm options to ensure sustainable alternative incomes for those who make their living from opium poppy. We are also pursuing innovative ways for farmers to make a living, including apricot drying, honey bee keeping, tailoring and weaving and the introduction of fruit tree nurseries and greenhouses for vegetable production.
	DFID is contributing to the Government of Afghanistan's National Solidarity Programme (NSP) and National Rural Access Programme (NRAP), both of which have rolled out to all provinces in Afghanistan. NSP has created 17,033 community development councils and financed 17,109 community led projects. NRAP is constructing 855km of rural roads. The multi-donor Microfinance Investment Support Facility for Afghanistan (MISFA), which DFID also supports, is working in 20 provinces and has disbursed US $81 million in small loans to 197,278 clients.

Africa

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent discussions he has had with the Chinese Government on  (a) sustainable development,  (b) corporate and social responsibility and  (c) poverty reduction in Africa.

Hilary Benn: The discussions we have had with the Chinese Government are as follows:
	 (a) Sustainable Development. The overall DFID programme in China aims to support sustainable development and the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals in three areas: health (TB and HIV and AIDS), basic education, and water supply and sanitation. In addition, DFID actively participates, both in terms of staff time and financial resources, in the UK-China Sustainable Development Dialogue. This is led by DEFRA. The four themes agreed with the Chinese for the next two years are natural resource management (especially forests, water and soils), sustainable consumption and production, capacity building for sustainable development and sustainable urban communities. DFID China is particularly involved in the first three, with all the themes involving collaboration and technical exchanges between different ministries in the UK and China, and a range of small projects involving government, non-government organisations and the private sector.
	 (b) Corporate and social responsibility. Within the sustainable consumption and production part of the dialogue, DEFRA and DFID China have designed a package to enhance the capability for emergency chemicals management in China by demonstrating UK best practice and providing capacity building support to key players in the delivery of improved chemicals management.
	 (c) We have had an ongoing dialogue over the last two years with the Chinese on Africa. China provided a representative on the Prime Minister's Commission for Africa. Most recently, my Permanent Secretary visited Beijing on 19 September for meetings on Africa with the Ministries of Commerce, Foreign Affairs and the Communist Party.

Aid and Debt Cancellation

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps he is taking to ensure that aid and debt cancellation programmes deliver the appropriate outcomes when his Department reviews its staffing.

Hilary Benn: The overall outcomes DFID is seeking to achieve are set out in its Public Service Agreement 2005-08; i.e. eliminate world poverty through the achievement of the Millennium development goals in the countries we work in and with partners within the international system. We aim to implement this through our corporate planning process so that we use our resources both financial and human in the most effective way possible. Each director produces delivery plans which sets out specific plans to achieve and monitor our progress during the year. We also have country assistance plans which set out how we will engage in the countries with which we work. The choice of aid instrument and the impact of debt cancellation programmes are important factors in our planning.
	Human Resources within DFID remain our greatest asset and it is vital that we ensure that our staff are deployed effectively around the world. This is done through our strategic work force planning process. This sets out how we will attract and retain staff, how we will train and develop them and the skills needed to help us deliver our goals. It is through this planning process that we ensure we have the right staff in the right place with the right skills. We will identify gaps in our current staffing profile and take action to close those gaps.

Angola

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent assessment he has made of progress with mine clearing operations in Angola.

Hilary Benn: After four decades of conflict, Angola is one of the most mined countries in the world. The Department for International Development has been a long-standing supporter of mine clearing operations in Angola. We have provided a total of £1.483 million for mine clearance activities in the country since 2003, and are planning an additional commitment of £825,000 in 2006-07. Around 10 international agencies are presently involved in de-mining in Angola, together with government partners.
	A Landmine Impact Survey is currently under way. It is due to be completed at the end of 2006. Two international agencies involved in this survey, HALO Trust and Mines Advisory Group, are receiving funding from DFID. The Landmine Impact Survey will provide a more comprehensive picture of the presence and impact of landmines in Angola than has been available in the past. This will enable better planning and prioritisation of mine action, as well as monitoring on progress of clearance. Emerging findings are already being used to help the central and provincial government in these areas.
	DFID will assess future support for landmines in Angola against the outcomes of the survey, once it has been completed.

Climate Change

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the impact of climate change on the potential for achieving sustainable development and poverty reduction in sub-Saharan Africa.

Hilary Benn: Current climatic variability is already hampering the reduction of poverty and sustained economic growth in Africa. DFID has made a commitment in the new White Paper on International Development to help developing countries adapt to climate change. Much of the available information is at regional level. But more effort is needed to help Africa assess what climate change means for national development. We are funding a number of activities in this regard.
	This year, DFID commissioned a mapping of where greatest climate vulnerability and poverty overlap across Africa (available on-line at:
	http://www.research4development.info/PDF/Outputs/climchangepovinafrica.pdf).
	A major new research fund on Climate Change Adaptation in Africa will help build climate change knowledge and research skill that can be incorporated into planning in Africa.
	DFID is in the process of implementing several country programme assessments of climate risk. The first of these in Africa will be in Kenya.
	In line with commitments made at the G8 summit in Gleneagles, DFID is also working to improve the availability and use of climate risk information in Africa through the Climate for Development in Africa programme. This will strengthen the Global Climate Observation System. In addition, DFID is contributing £20 million over three years through the United Nations to help countries develop national adaptation strategies.
	DFID also commissioned a review of climate change impacts in Africa as a contribution to an independent review on the economics of climate change led by Sir Nick Stern at the Treasury.

Democratic Republic of Congo

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent representations he has made to other national governments to provide additional aid to the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Hilary Benn: The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has long been one of world's neglected crises. In February I wrote to the Secretary General of the United Nations, Kofi Annan, in support of the UN's ambitious 2006 Humanitarian Action Plan for the DRC, which aims to address better the enormous unmet needs across the country. In this letter I called on other national governments to increase their humanitarian aid to the DRC in the same way that the UK has done. The UK has committed £60 million to the Action Plan over two years.
	I visited DRC in September to meet the two presidential candidates in the run up to the second round of elections. I used this visit to call again on other donor countries to increase their support to DRC, in support of a similar plea from Jan Egeland, the UN's Humanitarian Co-ordinator.
	DFID and FCO staff make regular representations in DRC, in national capitals and in the institutions of the EU for more, better and longer term development assistance to the DRC. As well as more development assistance to DRC, we need it to be better and more effective. The UK is leading efforts in DRC to improve donor working and impact. For example, in the transport sector we have used our planned support to reach agreement among all major donors on integrating critical maintenance elements into all future roads programmes. We are also trying to find ways of rapidly expanding access to basic social services in the future. These are practical ways to show how we can scale up impact in DRC and give donor partners the confidence to increase their support. We are also working with bilateral and multilateral partners to develop more co-ordinated and coherent strategies for post elections assistance to DRC.
	The UK's programme of development assistance has increased rapidly in recent years, from £5.6 million in 2001-02 to an available package of £62 million this financial year. We plan to continue increasing this, so long as the peace process remains on track.

Departmental Expenditure

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much his Department spent on taxis in the last 12 months.

Gareth Thomas: Taxi spend for the 12 month period October 2005 to September 2006 was £526,068.

Foreign Aid Budget

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the total foreign aid budget was in each of the last 30 years in real terms.

Hilary Benn: The total UK gross expenditure on aid in each of the last 30 years in real terms is set out in the following table:
	
		
			  UK gross public expenditure on aid 1975 to 2004-05( 1) 
			   Real terms (£000) 
			 1975 2,395,508 
			 1976 2,482,137 
			 1977 2,505,971 
			 1978 2,879,874 
			 1979 3,078,512 
			 1980 2,679,307 
			 1981 2,995,422 
			 1982 2,565,146 
			 1983 2,652,234 
			 1984 2,822,988 
			 1985 2,694,627 
			 1986-87(2) 2,660,938 
			 1987-88 2,631,962 
			 1988-89 2,819,697 
			 1989-90 2,923,326 
			 1990-91 2,850,159 
			 1991-92 3,033,445 
			 1992-93 3,285,765 
			 1993-94 3,209,884 
			 1994-95 3,419,432 
			 1995-96 3,382,941 
			 1996-97 2,999,892 
			 1997-98 3,053,967 
			 1998-99 3,127,784 
			 1999-2000 3,435,953 
			 2000-01 3,676,967 
			 2001-02 3,864,538 
			 2002-03 4,477,239 
			 2003-04 4,935,477 
			 2004-05 5,275,971 
			 (1) 2005-06 figure is not available until Statistics on International Development is published on 26 October 2006. (2) Prior to 1987 these statistics were produced on a calendar year.  Source:  British Aid Statistics and Statistics on International Development

Korea

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what aid programmes are in place to assist the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

Gareth Thomas: The UK does not have a bilateral programme in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. Aid provided by the European Commission was about £9.6 million in 2005. The UK's attributed share is 17 per cent. The UK share therefore amounts to about £1.6 million.

Land Mines

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps have been taken by his Department to assist victims of land mines in Africa.

Hilary Benn: DFID contributes substantial funding across the world to clear landmines. In Africa DFID is spending more than £5 million from 2004-05 to 2006-07 in the six most heavily affected countries: Angola, Ethiopia, Guinea Bissau, Somaliland, Sudan and Uganda.
	DFID is also helping victims of landmines through its wider programmes in health and welfare. For example in the financial year 2005-06 we provided £17.5 million to the International Committee of the Red Cross, some of which has been used to support mines survivors. We also provide indirect funding for victims through our support to mine action projects undertaken by non-government organisations.

Lesotho

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of Lesotho's level of debt.

Hilary Benn: In June 2005, the International Monetary Fund conducted a Debt Sustainability Analysis and concluded that Lesotho's debt levels were sustainable. This means that Lesotho does not classify as a Heavily indebted poor country (HIPC). However, the UK is committed to ensuring debt relief for all IDA-only low income countries that can use the resources effectively for poverty reduction.
	DFID is currently providing assistance to the Government of Lesotho to strengthen its financial management systems. Once the country's public expenditure management systems are sufficiently robust to meet the entry criteria, the UK will begin paying 10 per cent. of Lesotho's debt service payments to the World Bank and the African Development Bank under our Multilateral Debt Relief Initiative MDRI.

Middle East

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent assessment he has made of the humanitarian situation in the West Bank and Gaza; and if he will make a statement.

Hilary Benn: The situation in the Palestinian Territories remains very difficult. Continued Israeli military operations in Gaza, internal violence between Palestinian factions and the strike by Palestinian Authority employees have all contributed to a worsening situation. DFID is keeping close track of the humanitarian situation in the West Bank and Gaza through the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN OCHA).
	With technical assistance provided by DFID, UN OCHA is producing a Monthly Humanitarian Monitor report. The most recent report indicates that overall poverty rates have risen marginally, a number of essential drugs are out of stock and that deaths and injuries from violence are continuing. In the West Bank poverty now stands at 66 per cent., up from 62 per cent. in June 2005. In Gaza the poverty rate is 79 per cent., up from 77 per cent. a year ago. Among families that depend on salaries and payments from the Palestinian Authority (PA) poverty has risen more steeply (46 per cent. now, up from 33 per cent. in June 2005). 14 per cent. and 22 per cent. of essential drugs are out of stock in Gaza and the West Bank respectively. 77 Palestinians were killed and 266 injured in the West Bank and Gaza during August due to Israeli military operations. 12 Palestinians were killed and 55 injured in intra-Palestinian violence. The Monthly Humanitarian Monitor is available at http://www.ochaopt.org.
	OCHA has reported that 75 per cent. of medical staff and 90 per cent. of teachers are on strike. In the West Bank only critical medical cases are being received at governmental hospitals and health clinics. Most public schools have not re-opened for the new school year.
	DFID has made up to £12 million available to meet Palestinian basic needs through the Temporary International Mechanism. £9 million has been allocated to specific programmes to provide (i) essential medicines and health supplies; (ii) operations, maintenance and repair costs for water, sanitation and electricity services; and (iii) income for the poorest Palestinian Government workers, including teachers, who have suffered a severe loss in income over recent months. DFID has also provided £15 million to support Palestinian refugees in the region, though the United Nations Relief and Works Agency.

Middle East

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what funds have been disbursed through the Temporary International Mechanism to deliver aid to the Palestinians.

Hilary Benn: The European Commission has confirmed that €37.4 million have so far been disbursed through the Temporary International Mechanism (TIM). Since the TIM was established 97,000 Palestinians have received direct allowances. These allowances have supported health care workers, teachers and the most vulnerable citizens in Palestinian society. Over 2.4 million litres of fuel have been provided for emergency generators at water pumping stations, waste water facilities, hospitals and health centres in Gaza. This has enabled essential services to continue after damage to Gaza's only power station in an Israeli airstrike.

Middle East

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development 
	(1)  what work has been done to meet the UK's aim of strengthening the role of the Facility for Euro-Mediterranean Investment and Partnership in supporting the Middle East peace process;
	(2)  what the outcome was of the 2006 Review of the European Investment Bank's Facility for Euro-Mediterranean Investment and Partnership operations in the Palestinian Territories;
	(3)  how much has been spent in the Palestinian Territories under the electricity network upgrading initiative to improve the quality and reliability of the electricity supply across the Palestinian Territories announced during the UK Presidency of the EU in 2005.

Hilary Benn: The Government consider that the role played by the Facility for Euro-Mediterranean Investment and Partnership (FEMIP) in promoting sustainable private sector development is an important part of supporting the middle east peace process. During the UK presidency last year, two projects were approved by FEMIP for the west bank and Gaza Strip. These were €10 million in risk capital for credit guarantees and a €45 million loan for electricity upgrading. However, as with many donor-funded projects in the west bank and Gaza this year, FEMIP has been unable to implement these projects. This is because the Hamas government has so far not met internationally agreed principles for renouncing violence, recognising Israel, and accepting previous agreements and obligations.
	A review of FEMIP is due to take place by the end of 2006. This will set out options for the future of FEMIP, including on how to strengthen its effectiveness in achieving social and economic objectives. The report has not yet been finalised. The UK will work to ensure that future FEMIP operations in Euromed countries are consistent with and supportive of the peace process.
	The European Community has provided funding to pay the fuel costs of Gaza power station this year. This continued until the power station was put out of service in an Israeli missile attack in June. My Department is providing £3 million through the Temporary International Mechanism (TIM) for operation, maintenance and repair work to keep water, sanitation and electricity services running in west bank and Gaza Strip. The European Community has allocated €15 million through the TIM to pay for fuel for emergency generators. These are ensuring that health, water and sanitation services can continue in Gaza after the Israeli missile attack on the power station.

Middle East

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will make a statement on progress made since the announcement of increased European support for economic regeneration in the West Bank and Gaza Strip in November 2005 during the UK Presidency of the EU.

Hilary Benn: Following the Agreement on Movement and Access in November 2005, the EU agreed to undertake an on-site Third Party monitoring role at the Rafah (Gaza-Egypt) crossing. The Border Facilitation Mission has been in place since 27 November. However, the Agreement on Movement and Access has not been fully implemented by Israel or by the Palestinian government. We hope that Israel will act on its commitments in the Movement and Access agreement and that the Palestinian government will facilitate this by committing to non-violence, recognition of Israel and acceptance of previous agreements and obligations, including the Roadmap.
	Additionally, at the G8 Summit in Gleneagles, the G8 agreed to support the Quartet Special Envoy for Disengagement, James Wolfensohn, in his intention to stimulate a global financial contribution of up to $3 billion per year over the coming three years. The intention was that a pledging conference could take place in spring 2006, provided that progress had been made on political and economic issues. However this has not happened. Following the formation of a Hamas Government, the UK, European Community and other donors have suspended direct aid to the Hamas government until it complies with the principles set out by the Quartet. The commitments made at Gleneagles remain should the political situation change.

Middle East

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much has been allocated to each of the uses to which the £30 million provided by the UK to the Palestinians in 2006 has been put.

Hilary Benn: For the UK financial year 1 April 2006 to 31 March 2007 DFID has allocated its £30 million budget to the following:
	£15 million for Palestinian refugees through the United Nations Relief and Works Agency;
	£12 million for Palestinian basic needs through an EU led Temporary International Mechanism. This is providing social allowances, supplies and operating costs to maintain essential services; and
	£3 million in technical assistance to:
	Help Palestinian negotiators make progress towards a negotiated, two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict;
	Build capacity in the Office of the President;
	Build capacity in civil society to analyse and monitor the performance of the of Palestinian Authority;
	Support private sector development; and
	Build Palestinian anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist finance capacity.

Occupied Territories

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what role the UK has played in capacity building in the Occupied Territories since January; and what further action is planned.

Hilary Benn: DFID's support for capacity building in the occupied Palestinian territory has been adjusted so that no assistance is provided to the Hamas Government. This is because the Hamas Government has failed to meet internationally-agreed criteria on renouncing violence, recognising Israel and accepting previous agreements, including the Roadmap.
	DFID support in 2006 is aimed at:
	Strengthening the capacity of the Office of the President;
	Supporting civil society organisations involved in supporting and monitoring governance reform.
	Helping Palestinian negotiators prepare for final status negotiations and manage relations with Israel.
	Other projects with the Ministry of Planning and the Civil Police were completed before the Hamas Government took office.

Pan-African Trading Zone

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the merit of establishing a pan-African trading zone.

Hilary Benn: The African Union (AU) seeks to achieve African economic integration using regional economic communities (RECs) as building blocks. DFID supports the AU's approach to regional economic integration by providing support both to pan-African institutions (AU and the New Economic Partnership for African Development) as well as to RECs in Southern, West and East Africa. Any major new initiative such as the establishment of a pan-African trading zone would need to be developed and assessed on its merits by Africa, through the AU.
	The Commission for Africa (CfA) also recognised that increasing pan-African trade would be good for African growth and poverty reduction. That is why DFID is working towards this objective in a number of ways. For example, the Chancellor and I have announced that we expect UK spending on Aid for Trade, including economic infrastructure, to increase to $750 million by 2010.
	We are also continuing to work hard towards a successful and ambitious outcome to the Doha Round of world trade talks that would bring maximum benefits for Africa.

Senegal

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the impact of conflict in Senegal upon the potential development of  (a) Senegal and  (b) the Gambia.

Hilary Benn: We are concerned about the continuing conflict in the Casamance province of Senegal, which has been affected by violence and instability for the past 24 years. Whilst DFID has not carried out its own assessment of the developmental impact of this conflict, it is clear that those living there have suffered greatly, development has been undermined, and there have been significant repercussions for the neighbouring countries of Guinea-Bissau and the Gambia.
	During the current outbreak of violence, which began in August, international aid agencies estimate that around 10,000 people have been internally displaced by the fighting, while a further 5,000 have crossed into the Gambia. Many of these people are now receiving humanitarian assistance, although it is proving difficult to deliver relief to those still trapped by the fighting. We are in close contact with agencies on the ground and remain ready to provide support if the situation deteriorates further.
	The UK supports long-term peace building efforts in the region through the interdepartmental African Conflict Prevention Pool. We are considering support, this year, to Concern Universal's long running programme in Casamance and the Gambia, which is focused on mitigating the negative social and economic effects of the conflict through cross-border networking, conflict resolution, peace building and infrastructure rehabilitation.

Somalia

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps are being taken by his Department to promote the transition to peace and stability in Somalia.

Hilary Benn: The Government's principal objective is the return to the family of nations of a peaceful, democratic, and economically viable Somalia. DFID is one of the largest bilateral donors to Somalia, and one of our principal objectives is to deliver assistance that supports a just and viable outcome of the current political transition. With other donors, DFID provides support to the Transitional Federal Institutions, to enable them to begin functioning, effectively and engage in national reconciliation. DFID has also part-funded and contributed to the Somali/UN/International Community's development of a reconstruction and development plan which will be the basis for stabilisation and socio-economic recovery.

Sudan

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions he has had with Unicef about tackling the use of child soldiers in Darfur.

Hilary Benn: DFID officials in Sudan are in touch with UNICEF over the issue of child soldiers in Darfur. UNICEF monitor the recruitment and use of child soldiers in Darfur, and have tried to reach agreement on their release and reintegration with both signatory and non-signatory groups to the Darfur Peace Agreement. However, the current situation on the ground, and the factionalisation of militia has frustrated this. UNICEF are planning to roll out an awareness raising campaign on this issue within Darfur soon and are developing partnerships with agencies that can support their return to their families and reintegration into civilian life. DFID will continue to engage with UNICEF over this issue, and assess how we might support this work.

Sudan

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent assessment he has made of the number of people who are out of reach of aid agencies operating in Darfur.

Hilary Benn: The World Food Programme estimates that 224,000 registered beneficiaries could not be accessed during September. The majority of these people are in the northern part of North Darfur and have been cut off due to current fighting.

Sudan

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent assessment he has made of the number of people who are in need of support from aid agencies in Darfur.

Hilary Benn: The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) estimates that 3.6 million people are currently in need of humanitarian assistance in Darfur. Of this number, 3.1 million are beneficiaries of the World Food Programme (WFP). 1.9 million are displaced, living either in camps or in informal gatherings.

Trade (Africa)

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the need for investment in infrastructure in Africa in order to facilitate trade.

Hilary Benn: Africa's infrastructure deficit and poor condition of existing infrastructure significantly hampers Africa's ability to trade both regionally within Africa and beyond. Good infrastructure reduces transportation costs and delays in moving goods. Recent research shows that in one third of all African countries, transportation costs account for more than 25 per cent. of the total value of exports—and in Uganda they exceed 70 per cent. A 10 per cent. reduction in transport costs can increase trade by 25 per cent.
	Trade-related infrastructure includes rural and international roads, railways, ports and airports, telecommunications, energy and water. Well managed small towns also serve as a vital link between local, national and international markets. Enormous investment is needed to extend and improve Africa's infrastructure base. The Commission for Africa Report estimates that countries need to spend around 5 per cent. of GDP on infrastructure investment and a further 4 per cent. on operation and maintenance. This means a requirement for an additional $10 billion/year by 2010—a doubling of existing expenditure.
	DFID played a leading role in launching the Africa Infrastructure Consortium in October 2005. Working closely with African partners, the Infrastructure Consortium's role is to address both national and regional constraints to infrastructure development and broker financing for infrastructure projects that strengthen regional integration, economic growth and development.
	Last month, the Chancellor and I announced that we expect UK spending on Aid for Trade, including economic infrastructure, to increase to $750 million by 2010. A major proportion of this will flow to Africa, including funding for transport, energy, ports and communications.

World Bank

James McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what criteria the Government have set for the World Bank to secure the £50 million funding which is being withheld.

Hilary Benn: The UK funds the International Development Association (IDA), the arm of the World Bank Group that provides grants and concessional loans to the poorest countries. The latest UK contribution was to the fourteenth replenishment of IDA (IDA 14). The agreements governing this funding are set out in the IDA Resolution No. 209 ("Additions to Resources: Fourteenth Replenishment") which was adopted by the Governors of the World Bank in April 2005. Parliamentary approval for the UK contribution was given under The International Development Association (Fourteenth Replenishment) Order 2006 [Statutory Instrument 2006 No 1071], which came into force in March 2006.
	The UK has committed £1.43 billion to IDA 14, and this is payable over the three year period July 2005 to June 2008. I made £100 million of this contribution dependent on the Bank working more effectively with other donors and on reforming the way it attaches conditions to its assistance. These conditions are set out in the IDA Resolution: Schedules to Attachment 1. The £100 million was due to be paid in two equal tranches of £50 million. Following its fulfilment of the conditions for the first tranche, we paid £50 million to the World Bank in July 2006. Payment of the second tranche of £50 million, which is due in April 2007, is subject to fulfilment of the following conditions (set out in Schedule B):
	Review by the Executive Directors of the Association of (i) a monitoring framework for harmonisation including a series of key indicators drawing on the results of the DAC High Level Forum (HFL-2) and (ii) baselines established by the Association for such indicators; and adoption by the Association of such monitoring framework.
	Determination by the Executive Directors of the Association that satisfactory progress has been made against the baselines established for such harmonisation indicators.
	Determination by the Executive Directors of the Association that satisfactory progress has been made in implementing the recommendations in the 2005 Review of World Bank Conditionally.
	I told the Bank last month that I would not agree to the £50 million being paid until I had seen the evidence that it was making serious efforts to implement the recommendations of the conditionally review. The recommendations centred on the Bank observing five good practice principles when it agrees the conditions attached to its assistance. The first of these principles is ownership, and the review reaffirmed the Bank's commitment not to impose policies, including privatisation and trade liberalisation, on developing countries. In July 2006, the Bank produced a report on what it had done to implement the good practice principles. The report contained some good examples of where the Bank had sought to apply the principles, but there was not enough information to reach a judgment on how consistently and effectively they had been applied. I emphasised to President Wolfowitz at the Annual Meetings of the World Bank and IMF in Singapore last month the importance I place on the Bank ensuring these principles are consistently implemented in all its programmes, and that I expected a more detailed report. President Wolfowitz agreed to produce another more detailed report by the end of November.

Zimbabwe

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development 
	(1)  what discussions he has had with the government of Zimbabwe about assistance for those affected by Operation Murambatsvina;
	(2)  what discussions he has had with the government of Zimbabwe about the provision of decent housing for all inhabitants.

Hilary Benn: The UK, along with other donors, has repeatedly expressed serious concern about Operation Murambatsvina, through which the government of Zimbabwe displaced some 700,000 of its own people from their homes and/or livelihoods, as reported by UN Special Envoy Anna Tibaijuka following her visit to Zimbabwe last year. The government of Zimbabwe has consistently denied the extent of the humanitarian tragedy that resulted from those actions, and has shown no interest in discussing housing issues with donors. In addition to Operation Murambatsvina the UN estimate that some 800,000 people have lost homes and/or livelihoods as a consequence as the consequence of the fast track land reform process. No substantial progress can be made on housing without the government of Zimbabwe rethinking its policies on land ownership.
	Some UN and other international agencies and non-governmental organisations have managed to gain access to many of the victims. We have provided over £1.8 million to date to support the work of these organisations. There is a substantial ongoing need for assistance to vulnerable and mobile populations from Operation Murambatsvina and other causes such as former farm workers from commercial farms. DFID recently committed a further £5 million to the International Organisation for Migration and £1.1 million to NGOs to support their work in Zimbabwe addressing the needs of mobile and vulnerable populations, including the provision of temporary shelters.

MINISTER FOR WOMEN

People Trafficking

Peter Bone: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality if she will bring forward proposals to provide safe houses for women who have been trafficked into this country for the purpose of sexual exploitation and who are willing to testify against the traffickers.

Meg Munn: We are sympathetic to the needs of victims of trafficking and since March 2003 have been funding the POPPY scheme to provide a protective environment in which adult female victims who have been trafficked into prostitution in the UK can receive care and support whilst deciding whether to assist the authorities. Women are provided with initial unconditional support for four weeks, with longer term support provided in return for co-operation with the authorities. To date, over 100 women have been supported whilst they recover from their ordeal and prepare to return safely to their communities.
	This year the Home Office has entered into a two-year, £2.4 million funding agreement with Eaves Housing for Women to: continue the existing crisis provision service at the POPPY project for up to twenty-five women; provide 10 additional regional "step-down" places to help women live semi-independently with less intensive support; introduce the first ever specialist national outreach service in the UK for victims trafficked into sexual exploitation; and develop a resource/information pack for victims, service providers and law enforcement agency staff. Whilst capacity on the Government funded POPPY project has been as issue in the past, there are currently spaces available.
	In addition, the UK Human Trafficking Centre (UKHTC), which was launched on 3 October 2006, intends to continue to provide the victim centred approach delivered by Operation Pentameter. The UKHTC have appointed a victims co-ordinator whose role will include developing partnerships with other local support services and possible accommodation providers.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Philip Anschutz

Don Foster: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister where the gifts he received from Mr. Philip Anschutz in July 2005 are stored; and what his estimate is of the cost to public funds of the storage.

John Prescott: holding answer 11 September 2006
	The Government publish an annual list of gifts received by Ministers valued at more than £140, including details of which gifts were retained by Ministers, are held by the Department or have been disposed of. Information relating to 2005-06 was published on Monday 24 July and copies are available in the Library for the reference of Members. Gifts retained by the Department are stored within the Department.

Tablighi Jammaat

Paul Goodman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether  (a) he and  (b) others in his Office have met representatives of Tablighi Jammaat during the last three years; and if he will make a statement.

John Prescott: For information relating to the period prior to Friday 5 May 2006, I refer the hon. Member to the answer to be given by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government. Neither I nor officials have had any meetings since then.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Air Quality

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many and what percentage of poor air quality days were recorded in urban areas in each of the last 20 years.

Ben Bradshaw: The average number of days of moderate or higher pollution at urban and rural monitoring sites in the UK is shown in the following table. Data prior to 1987 are not available. There is no clear basis on which to attribute a percentage of pollution days to urban areas. However, it should be noted that the majority of the population live and work in such areas so they are where the majority of human exposure takes place.
	
		
			  Number of days of moderate or higher air pollution: 1987-2005 
			   UK Urban average  UK Rural average 
			 1987 21 — 
			 1988 31 — 
			 1989 47 — 
			 1990 50 — 
			 1991 48 — 
			 1992 44 — 
			 1993 33 59 
			 1994 44 47 
			 1995 44 50 
			 1996 41 48 
			 1997 42 40 
			 1998 29 24 
			 1999 48 33 
			 2000 27 21 
			 2001 34 25 
			 2002 32 20 
			 2003 64 50 
			 2004 44 23 
			 2005 40 22 
			  Source:  Air Quality Indicator for Sustainable Development, DEFRA, http://www.defra.gov.uk/news/2006/060424d.htm. Moderate or higher pollution is as defined in the national Air Pollution Banding system, http://www.airquality.co.uk/archive/standards.phptfband.

Animal Welfare

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether he plans to introduce proposals to amend the legislation governing the welfare of animals grazing on open land; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: Legislation exists to protect the welfare of animals.
	Under the Protection of Animals Act 1911 it is an offence to ill-treat or cause unnecessary suffering to any domestic or captive animal. It is also an offence under the Abandonment of Animals Act 1960 to abandon any domestic or captive animal in circumstances that are likely to cause it unnecessary suffering.
	The Animal Welfare Bill, currently before Parliament, will reduce animal suffering by placing on those who own or are responsible for animals, a duty to ensure their welfare. This duty of care will help animal welfare agencies, such as the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and local authorities, to take action when an animal is being treated contrary to its welfare needs, even if it is not immediately suffering.

Beaches

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what percentage of beaches in England and Wales met the EU  (a) higher and  (b) mandatory standard in each of the last 20 years.

Ian Pearson: The percentage of identified bathing waters in England and Wales that met the EU higher and mandatory standards in the period between 1990 and 2005 are shown in the following table. 2005 is the last year for which data are available.
	
		
			   Percentage of identified bathing waters meeting EU higher (guideline) standards  Percentage of identified bathing waters meeting EU mandatory standards 
			 1990 32 78 
			 1991 26 75 
			 1992 37 79 
			 1993 31 79 
			 1994 33 83 
			 1995 50 89 
			 1996 47 89 
			 1997 44 89 
			 1998 45 91 
			 1999 49 92 
			 2000 52 95 
			 2001 68 97 
			 2002 78 99 
			 2003 83 99 
			 2004 80 99 
			 2005 85 99

Bovine Tuberculosis

Elfyn Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much compensation was paid to dairy farmers for the destruction of TB infected cattle in each year since 2001-02; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: The table shows the total amount of compensation paid to farmers in Great Britain for cattle slaughtered as a result of TB control measures for the financial years 2001-02 to 2005-06. We do not hold information on compensation paid specifically to dairy farmers.
	
		
			   Compensation paid to farmers (£ million) 
			 2001-02 9.2 
			 2002-03 31.9 
			 2003-04 34.4 
			 2004-05 35.0 
			 2005-06(1) 30.6 
			 (1)Provisional figure 
		
	
	Compensation includes payments for disease infected animals which are compulsorily slaughtered and haulage costs. They also take into account 'salvage' receipts received by the Government.

Chicken Farms

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will ensure that existing chicken farms are required to meet the same health and safety standards as new ones.

Anne McGuire: The same health and safety standards apply to all chicken farms regardless of how long they have been established. Operators of all farms are expected to fulfill their legal duties to themselves, their employees and others who may be affected by the work activity, so far as is reasonably practicable, in accordance with the requirements of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 and relevant statutory provisions.

Drinking Water

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what percentage of drinking water met EU drinking water standards in each of the last 20 years.

Ian Pearson: The original EU drinking water standards were implemented in England and Wales towards the end of 1989. Compliance is measured by results of tests on samples from consumers' taps. Compliance figures for each year from 1992 to 2003 are in the following table.
	
		
			   Compliance (percentage) 
			 1992 98.65 
			 1993 98.95 
			 1994 99.28 
			 1995 99.45 
			 1996 99.70 
			 1997 99.75 
			 1998 99.78 
			 1999 99.82 
			 2000 99.83 
			 2001 99.86 
			 2002 99.87 
			 2003 99.88 
		
	
	New EU drinking water standards came into force with effect from the end of 2003. Compliance with the new standards in England and Wales was 99.94 per cent. in 2004 and 99.96 per cent. in 2005.

Fuel Poverty

James McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many people were in fuel poverty in each year since 2001.

Ian Pearson: Fuel poverty is a devolved matter. In England, the English House Condition survey is used to determine the level of fuel poverty. Survey results have a two year lag, thus the latest figures available are for 2004.
	
		
			   Number of households in fuel poverty (millions) 
			 2001 1.7 
			 2002 1.4 
			 2003 1.2 
			 2004 1.2 
		
	
	Since 2004, the fuel price increases that have occurred are likely to mean that a further households in England will have been drawn into fuel poverty.

Natural England

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the effect of recent changes to Natural England's budget on its ability to meet its biodiversity conservation obligations.

Barry Gardiner: Defra has had to review the budgets for its entire family in the light of pressures arising during the course of the year. For 2006-07 Natural England has provided me with an assessment of the likely impact of the cuts. Ministers specifically asked that the impact of the cuts on the Government's Public Service Agreement targets for Sites of Special Scientific Interest, and on Biodiversity Action Plans, be minimised. I will shortly be announcing Natural England's budget for the coming year and I will again emphasise the importance of continuing to make progress on our biodiversity commitments.

Ragwort

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what advice he has given, and on what dates, to local authorities on the eradication of ragwort in their areas; what financial assistance is available to them for this purpose; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what advice is available to private landowners on the elimination of ragwort; and what financial assistance is available for this purpose.

Barry Gardiner: The Department's policy is to control common ragwort and other injurious weeds, where there is a threat to animal welfare or agricultural activities. It is not Defra policy to eradicate ragwort entirely, as we recognise it forms an important habitat and food source for many insects. It is the responsibility of all land managers, including local authorities, to control the spread of weeds from land under their control. There is no specific financial assistance available from Defra for this task.
	On 25 May, I wrote to the Highways Agency, Network Rail and the Local Government Association reminding them of the need to control injurious weeds on their land where there is a risk to horses and other livestock.
	The Code of Practice on how to prevent the spread of Ragwort was published in July 2004 and has been made widely available to public and private land managers. It provides comprehensive guidance on how to develop a strategic and more cost-effective approach to weed control. It is intended for use by all landowners and occupiers, but is particularly relevant for large-scale organisations managing significant land areas, including local authorities and public bodies.
	It gives advice on identification of common ragwort, risk assessment and priorities for ragwort control, control methods their suitability and efficacy, environmental considerations, and health and safety issues.
	To complement the Code of Practice, in September 2005 Defra also published guidance on disposal options for Common Ragwort. This includes information and advice on rotting down, composting, incineration, controlled burning, and landfill.
	Copies of the Code of Practice and the guidance on disposal are available from Defra Publications (telephone: 08459 55 6000) and are on the Defra website at: http://www.defra.gov.uk/rural/horses/topics/ragwort.htm.

Right of Way (Coasts)

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what provision exists for a general right of way in coastal areas; and if he will make a statement.

Barry Gardiner: People have access to the beach around much of the coast, but this access is uncertain and it is often not based on clear legal rights. There is much less access to the coastal land behind the beach, to sand dunes and cliff tops and marshes, which also provide that great sense of freedom and well-being that coastal land can bring. There is no clear route all the way around the coast.
	We are looking at possible options for extending access to coastal areas, to really benefit people and allow them to get out and enjoy our wonderful coastline, while taking full account of nature conservation issues. Natural England is currently undertaking fact finding and investigating options and will make recommendations by the end of December. We will then issue a consultation paper in early 2007 setting out the facts, a range of options and the costs and benefits associated with each.

Warm Front Programme

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what mechanisms exist for the monitoring of contractors engaged to install insulation and heating equipment under the warmfront programme.

Ian Pearson: The Warm Front scheme manager, Eaga Partnership, vets all installers to ensure they demonstrate technical competence, possess relevant qualifications and display financial probity.
	Eaga has introduced vendor-rating systems that all installers are assessed against. The vendor rating for each installer determines the level of work they will receive in future. Those installers who fail to meet the relevant criteria and standards are immediately removed from the Warm Front programme.
	DEFRA also has a contract with independent quality assurance assessors who monitor quality issues on an ongoing basis and regularly report to the Department.

Water Companies

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the speed at which water companies have implemented their investment plans efficiently after price limits were set in 2004; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Pearson: Ofwat is the economic regulator for the water and sewerage industry in England and Wales. In December 2004 it set price limits for the period 2005-10. In setting these price limits, Ofwat assumed that the industry would spend £18.3 billion (in today's prices) over the period 2005-10 on its capital investment programme.
	Although companies have generally delivered the environmental outputs that were expected for 2005-06, levels of investment across the full range of companies' activities have fallen short of Ofwat's assumptions. Their total capital investment for 2005-06 was £3.4 billion, compared with the £4.3billion that Ofwat expected. Ofwat's detailed 2005-06 report, 'Financial performance and expenditure of the water companies in England and Wales', has been placed in the Library of the House.
	The regulators will continue to monitor how the companies' perform, focusing on making sure that full investment programmes are delivered for the period up to 2010.

CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS

Burial Grounds

Edward O'Hara: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs 
	(1)  what provisions exist for protecting burial places, including preventing building on the grave area, falling outside the jurisdiction of the Church of England; and who is responsible for monitoring such measures;
	(2)  what guidance is provided to  (a) central government and its agencies,  (b) local government and  (c) other public bodies regarding legal and other obligations regarding (i) maintaining records and reporting regarding bodies buried in grounds controlled by them, (ii) building on grounds containing bodies and (iii) exhuming bodies; how such guidance is disseminated; and when that guidance was last reviewed.

Harriet Harman: It is an offence without authority to disturb buried human remains, including any disturbance as a result of building works. Specific measures in relation to burial grounds in certain circumstances are contained in the Town and Country Planning (Churches, Places of Religious Worship and Burial Grounds) Regulations 1950, and in relation to disused burial grounds in the Disused Burial Grounds Acts of 1884 and 1981. Certain other local and private Acts may contain similar provisions in relation to specific sites. Any proposal to change the use of a burial ground would be a matter for local planning authorities, involving public consultation.
	Guidance on the application of the relevant legislation is provided in response to inquiries. In addition, the Department's "Guide for Burial Ground Managers", published in April and available on the Department's web site, contains a brief outline of the law on burial and exhumation.

CCTV

David Drew: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what status privately-owned closed circuit television systems have in relation to data protection; and what rights individuals filmed on public footpaths have to ask  (a) to see and  (b) to destroy video tape of themselves.

Vera Baird: The Data Protection Act 1998 covers all processing of personal data by automatic means, including those close circuit television (CCTV) systems in public places, or on premises where members of the public may have access, where it is possible for the operator to identify distinct individuals from the film footage. The Act does not apply to CCTV filming purely within a private house/garden, but where the camera's field of operation extends beyond the private property, individuals caught on the film—where it is possible for the operator to distinctly identify them from the footage—have a right of access to the film under s7 of the Act. There is no automatic right to insist on destruction of the film, but individuals have a right, under s10 of the Act, to object to any processing likely to cause damage or distress where such damage or distress is, or would be, unwarranted and this could involve destruction, in appropriate circumstances.

Electoral Administration Act 2006

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs whether dates of birth will be used to verify remote electronic voting following the implementation of the Electoral Administration Act 2006.

Bridget Prentice: With any new method for voting it is vital that the systems used be made as secure as possible and my Department is committed to ensuring that any new remote methods be at least as secure as traditional channels.
	The verification process is one of the elements we would wish to test in piloting of electronic voting. This could involve dates of birth or other appropriate credentials for use in verification. The credentials used would depend on the content of individual pilots proposed by local authorities.

Exhumation

Edward O'Hara: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs 
	(1)  what redress is available for those who have experienced  (a) delays and  (b) poor service in the processing of exhumation licence applications;
	(2)  what complaints procedures and policies exist in respect of the handling of exhumation licence applications; and how many complaints were received in relation to exhumation licences in each of the last 10 years.

Harriet Harman: Complaints and requests for redress in respect of our handling of exhumation licence applications are dealt with in accordance with the departmental complaints procedures, the details of which are available from the departmental website.
	Three such complaints have been received in recent years.

Exhumation

Edward O'Hara: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs 
	(1)  how many applications for exhumation licences by the Prison Service there were in respect of bodies buried in prison grounds in the last period for which figures are available;
	(2)  how many exhumation licences were issued pursuant to section 25 of the Burial Act 1857 in each of the last 30 years;
	(3)  what records are kept of exhumation licences applied for and issued; and how such records can be inspected;
	(4)  how many the applicants for exhumation licences there were in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available; what the reason for the exhumation being sought was in each case; and what conditions were of each such licence issued;
	(5)  how many applications for exhumation licences under the Burial Act 1857 were refused in the last period for which figures are available; and for what reasons in each case;
	(6)  how many  (a) refusals and  (b) delays in issuing exhumation licences were challenged in each of the last 10 years for which information is available, separately identifying those cases in which such challenge was made by letter of claim intimating proceedings;
	(7)  what average length of time was taken from the making of the application for an exhumation licence to the granting of an application over the last five years; and what the  (a) longest and  (b) shortest length of time was which an exhumation licence has taken to be issued.

Harriet Harman: One application, in respect of five bodies, has been received from the Prison Service in the last five years.
	The number of exhumation licences issued under the Burial Act 1857 for which records are available are set out in the following table.
	
		
			   Number 
			 2000-01 1,132 
			 2002-02 1,184 
			 2002-03 1,213 
			 2003-04 924 
			 2004-05 1,134 
			 2005-06 1,067 
		
	
	The number of applications refused over these years could not be obtained without disproportionate cost, but is thought to be very small. Applications normally fall to be refused where they do not meet the normal requirements for relevant consents.
	The Department's records consist of the application form, a copy of any licence issued, and any relevant correspondence. The documents will contain details of the applicant, the reasons for the application and any conditions attached to the Licence. Requests for the inspection of such records and the disclosure of the reasons for the refusal of an exhumation would need to be made in accordance with the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and the Data Protection Act 1998.
	Complete applications will normally be processed within 20 working days of receipt. In cases of urgency, licences may be issued on the same day. Where further information is required or where the application raises sensitive or complex issues, the process can take longer. Information on the time taken to process applications in individual cases could only be obtained at disproportionate cost. No letters of claim are known to have been received in connection with any cases of alleged delay.

Exhumation

Edward O'Hara: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what policies and procedures were followed on receipt of an application for an exhumation licence in  (a) 2006,  (b) 1996,  (c) 1986 and  (d) 1976; and when such policies and procedures were last reviewed.

Harriet Harman: Government policy has for many years been to consider applications sympathetically where made for private, personal, reasons and where consent has been obtained from the burial ground operator, the owner of the burial rights to the grave, if any, and the next of kin of the deceased person. Applications are liable to be refused where the relevant consents have not been obtained, where the next of kin cannot agree, or where it would not be in the public interest for the application to be approved.
	Practice and procedures are kept under regular review.

Exhumation

Edward O'Hara: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs whether the recipient of an exhumation licence is named in the licence.

Harriet Harman: No. Exhumation licences merely disapply the penalties which would be incurred if removal took place without a licence. They are therefore issued in the name of the deceased person or otherwise in a way which identifies the remains which may be lawfully exhumed.

Exhumation

Edward O'Hara: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs 
	(1)  what staff complement was allocated to processing exhumation licences in each of the last 10 years;
	(2)  what education and training is given to officials on  (a) religious and cultural issues relating to death and the disposal of the dead,  (b) human rights obligations to respect family life and  (c) the manifestation of religious beliefs to assist them to ensure that the exhumation licence process is sensitively handled;
	(3)  what role Ministers have in the granting of exhumation licences.

Harriet Harman: Exhumation applications are processed each year by approximately three quarters of one full time equivalent official. All those involved in processing such applications are made aware of the need to treat applications sensitively, and development opportunities are taken to reinforce this approach. All staff undergo diversity training and senior officers are briefed on relevant human rights issues.
	Authority to deal with uncontentious applications has been delegated to officials under the "Carltona" principle, but sensitive or complex cases are liable to be referred to Ministers for decision.

Judicial Appointments Commission

Nicholas Clegg: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how much was spent on renaming the Commission for Judicial Appointments the Judicial Appointments Commission.

Harriet Harman: The Commission for Judicial Appointments was not renamed. The Judicial Appointments Commission is a separate body set up on 3 April 2006 to select candidates for judicial appointments under the Constitutional Reform Act 2005. The Commission for Judicial Appointments, which closed down on 31 March 2006, had a different role in that it conducted audits of judicial appointment competitions and considered complaints about the procedures followed in making judicial appointments.

Judicial Staff

Elfyn Llwyd: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many district judges (criminal) there are; and how many there were in 1997.

Harriet Harman: There are 141 district judges (magistrates courts) currently and the equivalent figure for the same time in 1997 was 89.

Judicial Staff

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what the cost of the subsidy for court dress for judges was in each of the last three years; how much of that subsidy was for wigs; what the allowance for court dress given to each rank of judge is; whether the allowances are taxable; and if she will make a statement.

Harriet Harman: According to the available information, total expenditure on court working dress for all judges over the last three years was as follows:
	
		
			   £ million 
			 2005-2006 0.626 
			 2004-2005 0.776 
			 2003-2004 0.566 
		
	
	Information as to that part of the expenditure attributable to wigs is not held.
	The current allowance for judges working dress, payable on appointment, is as follows:
	
		
			   £ 
			 High Court judges 14,920 
			 Circuit Judges 9,780 
			 Assistant Judge Advocates General 2,229 
		
	
	The allowances are not taxable. The Department also meets the costs of new or replacement items of court working dress for certain other judicial office holders within specified limits.

Legal Aid

Andrew Turner: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs pursuant to the answer of 9 October to question ref 91956, on legal aid, what the value is of  (a) legal aid certificates revoked and  (b) cases closed in circumstances which require the client to repay costs to the Legal Services Commission; and what proportion of each has been repaid.

Vera Baird: holding answer 16 October 2006
	For civil matters,  (a) The Legal Services Commission estimate that the total cost of all those 7,685 cases, where the legal aid certificate was revoked, to be in the region of £11.1 million. It is not possible to say at this stage what proportion of the sum due will be repaid because; (i) the total liability has not yet been quantified; (ii) not all of the applicants have yet received confirmation of the total amount due, and (iii) the recovery action is still proceeding in many cases.
	 (b) In cases closed in circumstances which require the client to repay costs to the Legal Services Commission, the value of that work £63.5 million. The total benefit to the clients represented in these was over £950 million. It is not possible to say what proportion of the £63.5 million has been recovered yet as costs may not be recovered until many years after the case has closed.
	For criminal matters, the amount owed to the Criminal Defence Service by defendants, following Recovery of Defence Cost Orders issued by the courts during 2005-06, was £2.1 million. By the end of that year, the Legal Services Commission had recovered £0.9 million.

Magistrates Courts

Elfyn Llwyd: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many magistrates courts there are; and how many there were in 1997.

Harriet Harman: There are currently 334 magistrates courts in England and Wales. There were 435 magistrates courts in 1997.

Marc Lawrence

Roger Gale: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs when she expects the inquest into the death of Lieutenant Marc Lawrence RN to commence.

Harriet Harman: The inquest will be listed for hearing by Sir Richard Curtis, one of the Assistant Deputy Coroners the Oxfordshire coroner has specially appointed to conduct the Iraq related inquests. No date has yet been set for the inquest into the death of Lieutenant Lawrence or the deaths of Lieutenant Wilson, Lieutenant West, Lieutenant Green, Lieutenant Williams and Lieutenant King who also lost their lives in the same incident.

People Trafficking

Peter Bone: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what discussions she has had with her ministerial colleagues in the Home Office on the treatment of people trafficked into the UK for the purposes of sexual exploitation.

Harriet Harman: I have had discussions with ministerial colleagues in the Home Office on the treatment of people trafficked into the UK for the purposes of sexual exploitation in the course of meetings of the inter-ministerial group on sexual offences of which I am a member.

Sentencing

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what guidance is issued to magistrates on appropriate sentencing of persistent and prolific offenders.

Gerry Sutcliffe: holding answer 17 October 2006
	I have been asked to reply.
	The principles that the court must follow when determining the seriousness of an offence are set out in statute. The court must consider the offender's culpability in committing the offence and any harm which the offence caused, was intended to cause or might forseeably have caused. Any previous convictions, where they are recent and relevant, should be regarded as an aggravating factor which should increase the severity of the sentence. The Sentencing Guidelines Council published a guideline on "Overarching Principles: Seriousness" in December 2004, which is binding on all courts.

EDUCATION AND SKILLS

Apprenticeships

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many people were on apprenticeships in each of the last 30 years.

Bill Rammell: The following table shows the average number of apprentices in training in England over the whole year back to 1996-97.
	
		
			  Average number of Apprentices in training 1996-97-2004-05, England 
			  Thousand 
			   Advanced apprenticeships  Apprenticeships  Total 
			 1996-97 67 — 67 
			 1997-98 106 — 106 
			 1998-99 123 25 149 
			 1999-00 130 65 195 
			 2000-01 126 87 212 
			 2001-02 112 102 214 
			 2002-03 111 123 234 
			 2003-04 105 143 248 
			 2004-05 102 154 256 
		
	
	It is not possible to give figures for the last 30 years since the form apprenticeships have taken have changed meaning any time-series would not be consistent. Britain has a long tradition of apprenticeship, however from the mid 1960's numbers fell from 243,700 in 1966 almost dying out completing during the 1980's with only 53,000 participating by 1990. The current apprenticeship programme was launched in 1994 to address skill deficiencies at intermediate level, aimed both to expand and update existing apprenticeship schemes whilst promoting structured training in those occupations, industries and sectors with no tradition of offering apprenticeships. The table above gives numbers since this current format of apprenticeships (Level 2) and advanced apprenticeships (Level 3) was introduced and became fully operational.

Carers

Hywel Francis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what steps he is taking to increase pastoral and other support for young carers at school; and if he will make a statement.

Parmjit Dhanda: Schools are already required to promote the education and welfare of all their pupils, and should take all pupils' individual circumstances into account. The purpose of the "Every Child Matters" agenda is to ensure that all children, regardless of their circumstances, should be given the opportunity to achieve their potential. We are currently looking at ways in which we can assist teachers further in carrying out that role for pupils who are carers, by improving the availability to them of information relevant to dealing with the issues which these young people face.

Child Protection

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills whether local child protection registers will coexist with the new children's information sharing index.

Parmjit Dhanda: holding answer 11 October 2006
	The Department for Education and Skills plans to replace the requirement on English local authorities to hold a separate child protection register with a requirement that local authorities can record within their electronic recording systems for children's social care whether a child has a child protection plan. These systems will replicate all the information currently held on child protection registers. This arrangement is due to be implemented in April 2008 but a final date will not be set until we are confident that all local authorities have secure systems in place to hold these records. This means that this separate arrangement to record that a child has a child protection plan will coexist with and be separate from the information sharing index.
	The information sharing index will be a tool enabling practitioners delivering services to children to identify and contact one another easily and quickly, so they can share relevant information about children who need services. It will contain only basic information on all children in England (such as name, date of birth, address, education setting), and a facility for practitioners to indicate that they wish to be contacted in relation to a child because they have information to share, are currently taking action, or have undertaken an assessment. The index will not hold assessment or case information nor any indication that the child is on a child protection register.

Childcare Places

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many child care places there were in each of the last 20 years.

Beverley Hughes: The available information on child care places is shown in tables 1 and 2.
	
		
			  Table 1: Number( 1, 2)  of registered child care places for children under eight years of age by type of care—England 
			   Position at 31 March each year—2003-06 
			  Type of care  2003  2004  2005  2006 
			 Full day care 381,600 456,300 518,000 565,700 
			 Sessional day care 280,800 274,100 249,600 237,100 
			 Childminders 300,900 319,700 316,100 322,200 
			 Out of school day care 285,400 326,700 341,200 366,500 
			 Crèche day care 32,700 38,900 43,400 46,300 
			 (1) Rounded to the nearest 100 places. (2) Data source: Ofsted. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Number( 1,2)  of day care places for children under eight years of age by type of provider—England 
			   Position at 31 March each year—1990-2002 
			  Type of provider  1987  1988  1989  1990  1991  1992 
			 Day nurseries 60,700 66,200 75,400 87,500 106,100 116,800 
			 Playgroups and pre-schools 414,100 409,100 406,700 416,400 428,400 414.500 
			 Childminders 150,600 163,700 186,400 205,600 233,300 254,300 
			 Out of school clubs n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 11,900 
			 Holiday schemes(3) n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 47,500 
		
	
	
		
			   Position at 31 March each year—1990-2002 
			  Type of provider  1993  1994  1995  1996  1997 
			 Day nurseries 133,800 147,600 161,500 178,300 193,800 
			 Playgroups and pre-schools 396,900 411.300 410,600 397,700 383,700 
			 Childminders 300,700 357,500 373,600 376,200 365,200 
			 Out of school clubs 24,600 30,000 44,600 70,000 78,700 
			 Holiday schemes(3) 80,500 102,600 192,100 205,900 209,000 
		
	
	
		
			   Position at 31 March each year—1990-2002 
			  Type of provider  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002 
			 Day nurseries 223,000 247,700 264,200 285,100 n/a 
			 Playgroups and pre-schools 383.600 347,200 353,100 330,200 n/a 
			 Childminders 370,700 336,600 320,400 304,600 n/a 
			 Out of school clubs 92,300 113,800 141,100 152,800 n/a 
			 Holiday schemes(3) 256,500 435,200 490,400 550,400 — 
			 n/a = not available. (1) Figures have been rounded to the nearest 10 or 100 places. (2) Data source: Children's DayCare Facilities Survey. (3) From 1999, places were counted once for each school holiday. Before 1999, places were counted once each year. 
		
	
	Local authorities were responsible for the registration and inspection of children's day care facilities until these responsibilities were transferred to Ofsted in September 2001. Therefore the figures for child care places for 2003-06 are not directly comparable with the day care figures for 1987-2001. The figures for 2003-06 were derived from the Ofsted database of registered child care providers. The figures for 1987-2001 were derived from the Children's Day Care Facilities Survey, which was discontinued in 2001. There are no figures for 2002 because the period from September 2001 to March 2003 was designated as a transitional period where Ofsted, as a by-product of its inspections, validated the actual number of individuals and organisations that were providing child care.
	With the introduction of the National Day Care Standards and the transfer of responsibilities for registration and inspection of child care providers from local authority social service departments to Ofsted in September 2001, child care places were classified according to the type of day care provided: full day care, sessional day care, childminder, out of school day care or crèche day care. Ofsted have produced figures based on this classification on a quarterly basis from March 2003. Their latest figures were published on 27 July 2006 in their report "Registered Childcare Providers and Places, 30 June 2006", which is available on their website, www.ofsted.gov.uk/publications.
	Up until March 2001, child care providers were classified according to the type of provider: day nurseries, playgroups and pre-schools, childminders, out of school clubs and holiday schemes. Figures based on this classification were published in a series of statistical bulletins, which are available from the Department's website, www.dfes.gov.uk/statistics.

Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills when he will reply to the letter of 27 June 2006 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Dr. S. Ala-ud-Din.

Bill Rammell: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State replied to the right hon. Member's letter on 31 July.

Departmental Expenditure

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much his Department has spent on organising and hosting conferences in the last 12 months.

Parmjit Dhanda: The Department organises a significant number of events for different target audiences and purposes each year, ranging from small scale workshops to introduce practitioners to new procedures or initiatives, to larger scale events to promote policy initiatives or share good practice.
	Records of events organised or sponsored by the Department are not held centrally and the information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Staff

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what proportion of  (a) staff and  (b) new staff employed since April 2005 in (i) his Department and (ii) each of the agencies for which he has responsibility is recorded as disabled.

Parmjit Dhanda: The latest published information on disability status is available via the Cabinet Office website at:
	http://www.civilservice.gov.uk/management/statistics/publications/xls/report_2005/table_p.xls
	Historic published data on the disabled status of civil servants are available from the Cabinet Office website at:
	http://www.civilservice.gov.uk/management/statistics/reports/index.asp
	The number of new staff employed since April 2005 in my Department who have declared a disability is less than five, and therefore the proportion is unavailable.
	Declaration of a disability is voluntary.

Dyslexia

Ian Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the total expenditure on children with dyslexia in Somerset was in each of the last five years.

Parmjit Dhanda: The Department does not collect the information in the way it has been requested. However, the following table gives a breakdown of budgeted net expenditure on the provision of education for children with special educational needs in Somerset since 2002-03.
	
		
			  Budgeted net expenditure on the provision of education for children with special educational( 1,2)  needs in Somerset since 2002-03 
			  Local authority  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			 Bath and North East Somerset 7,846,000 8,522,000 8,743,000 9,639,000 10,017,000 
			 North Somerset 9,064,000 11,289,000 12,721,000 13,564,000 14,737,000 
			 Somerset 26,714,000 29,068,000 30,023,000 33,934,000 37,238,000 
			 (1) The data is drawn from local authorities Section 52 Budget Statements (Tables 1 and 2) submitted to the DfES.  (2 )Includes planned expenditure on the provision for pupils with statements and the provision for non-statemented pupils with SEN, support for inclusion, inter authority recoupment, fees for pupils at independent special schools and abroad, educational psychology service, local authority functions in relation to child protection, therapies and other health related services, parent partnership, guidance and information, the monitoring of SEN provision and inclusion administration, assessment and co-ordination. Also included is the funding delegated to primary and secondary schools identified as "notional SEN" and the individual schools budget (ISB) for special schools.   Notes:  1. The ISB for special schools will include some general education costs for pupils with SEN in addition to those costs specifically for SEN while the figures recorded against "notional SEN" are only indicative of the amount that might by spent by schools on SEN and, from 2004-05 onwards, "notional SEN" delegated to nursery schools was reported on Section 52 for the first time. In 2005-06, local authorities also budgeted for SEN transport expenditure but this is not included in the table as figures are not available prior to 2005-06.  2. Figures are rounded to the nearest thousand pounds and may not sum due to rounding. Cash terms figures as reported by the local authority as at 11 October 2006.  3. 2006-07 data is provisional and is subject to change by the local authority.

Language Colleges

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what action he has taken to prevent the setting up of bogus language colleges to enable false applications to be granted for entry into the UK.

Liam Byrne: I have been asked to reply.
	Home Office strategies include use of the Register of Education and Training Providers owned by the Department for Education and Skills (DfES), introduction of the Student Task Force to coordinate intelligence and visits to suspect institutions and changes to the Immigration Rules to prevent students remaining in the UK for long periods on low level short courses or using the student route to remain in the UK after their leave in another temporary capacity has expired.
	The DfES Register is a register of education and training providers and any education provider assessed as non-bona fide for the purposes of the rules is removed from the DfES Register. An overseas student will not be granted leave to enter or remain in the UK unless the education provider is included on the DfES Register.
	Where the Student Task Force identifies a college that does not meet the bona fide requirements for the purposes of the Immigration Rules it requests the DfES to remove that college from its Register.
	In the future, the introduction of the points-based system for managing migration into the UK will make the student route more robust by putting sponsorship and compliance at the heart of our processes. Under the PBS, a new register of education sponsors, building on the DfES Register, will apply more stringent requirements to educational institutions such as the responsibility to report non-attendance and non-enrolment and to cooperate with compliance visits. We will also require all private institutions to be accredited by an independent body to ensure that only legitimate institutions providing quality education enter on the new register. The Home Office and DfES are currently working on which bodies will be suitable for these purposes.

Part-time Students

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what progress has been made with the Higher Education Funding Council for England review of teaching  (a) funding and  (b) support for institutions with a large number of part-time students.

Bill Rammell: We are continuing to discuss these matters with the funding council, which has been conducting a further round of public consultation with the higher education sector. I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 9 February 2006,  Official Report, column 1340W.

Science and Technology

Jonathan Djanogly: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what steps the Government is taking to encourage more young people to study science and technology to A-Level and degree level.

Jim Knight: The Government published 'Science and Innovation Investment Framework 2004-2014: Next Steps in March 2006'. This sets out the Government's ambition to create an education and training environment that delivers the best in science teaching and learning and increase the numbers of young people taking A levels in science subjects.
	The Government are putting in place a range of specific activities to encourage more young people to study science at A Level and beyond including:
	encouraging schools to offer separate science GCSEs; physics, chemistry and biology to all pupils who could benefit from it, especially higher achieving pupils with support through collaborative arrangements with specialist science colleges; FE colleges and partnerships with independent schools;
	a pilot of 250 after school science clubs to offer an engaging and stretching programme of activities to Key Stage 3 pupils with interest and potential in science;
	introducing a statutory entitlement to a course of study leading to two science GCSEs. The intention is that at least 80 per cent. of young people will take at least two science GCSEs;
	working with key stakeholders to develop ways to improve the guidance provided to young people and their parents and teachers of the benefits of studying
	science and the career opportunities available to those with science, engineering and mathematics degrees and other technology qualifications;
	developing and piloting an accredited diploma to give science teachers without an initial specialism in physics and chemistry the subject knowledge and pedagogy they need to teach these subjects effectively;
	improving the quality of teaching by ensuring all science teachers have access to good quality continuing professional development through the network of Science Learning Centres which we fund jointly with the Wellcome Trust;
	providing additional incentives to recruit more high quality science graduates into science teaching.

SEN Tribunals

Ian Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  how many special educational needs tribunals have been heard in Somerset in the last five years;
	(2)  what the outcome was of each court case instituted in Somerset by  (a) Somerset county council and  (b) parents to obtain money for help with (i) dyslexia and (ii) other special educational needs in the last five years;
	(3)  how much has been allocated by his Department to Somerset for help with  (a) dyslexia and  (b) special needs in 2006-07;
	(4)  how many teachers who are qualified to teach dyslexic children there are in West Somerset; and where they are based.
	(5)  what criteria are applied to the allocation of money provided for help with dyslexia;
	(6)  how many children in Somerset have received help with dyslexia in the last five years, broken down by age group and school.

Parmjit Dhanda: The information requested has been placed in the House Libraries.

Vending Machines

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many vending machines there are in each of his Department's offices; how many in each office sell  (a) coca-cola,  (b) other sweetened fizzy drinks and  (c) sugared confectionary; and what consideration has been given to eliminating the sales of such substances from his Department's premises.

Parmjit Dhanda: The number of vending machines on each of the Department for Education and Skills sites dispensing  (a) coca-cola,  (b) other sweetened fizzy drinks and  (c) sugared confectionary is detailed as follows:
	
		
			  Site  Dispensing  Number of machines 
			 Runcorn Coca-cola and other drinks 2 
			 Runcorn Confectionery 1 
			 Darlington Coca-cola and other drinks 3 
			 Darlington Confectionery 3 
			 Sheffield Coca-cola and other drinks 1 
			 Sheffield Confectionery 1 
			 London Coca-cola and other drinks 4 
			 London Other fizzy drinks 4 
			 London Confectionery 6 
			 Total Coca-cola and fizzy drinks 14 
			 Total Confectionery 11 
		
	
	The Department will continue to keep under review the type and quality of all fizzy drinks and confectionery available for purchase within our premises to our employees. But in the immediate term, we shall retain the status quo in respect of selling confectionery and fizzy drinks to our adult employees but to encourage our catering partner to increase the healthy choice options available to staff. In the longer term, we will continue to work with our colleagues and partners to promote healthier lifestyles and how this impacts on catering provision within the Department.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

BBC

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when decisions will be announced on  (a) the new BBC Charter and  (b) the licence fee; and whether these decisions will be subject to Parliamentary scrutiny and assent.

Tessa Jowell: The new BBC Charter and Agreement have been finalised. The Charter is subject to approval by the Sovereign. This took place on 19 July. The Charter and Agreement have been debated in both Houses and the Agreement was approved by the House of Commons on 10 July. Both documents have been published. The Government will announce the level of the television licence fee to apply from April 2007 later this year. The level of the licence fee is set by regulations made under the Communications Act 2003, which must be laid before both Houses of Parliament before they can come into effect. The regulations are subject to negative resolution procedure, but the opportunity exists for any change to be debated by both Houses.

Broadcasting and Creative Industries Disability Network

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what  (a) funds and  (b) other support her Department has committed to the Broadcasting and Creative Industries Disability Network; and if she will make a statement.

Shaun Woodward: My Department does not directly fund the Broadcasting and Creative Industries Disability Network. The Network is funded through subscriptions from its members, who include the UK Film Council (the Government's strategic agency for film), and the BBC. DCMS officials attended the Network's Annual General Meeting on Monday 9 October.

Digital Television

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport 
	(1)  what the extent of the availability of Freeview is in  (a) Lancashire and  (b) Ribble Valley; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  what assessment she has made of the level of awareness of digital switchover in  (a) Lancashire and  (b) Ribble Valley;
	(3)  what percentage of households in  (a) Lancashire and  (b) Ribble Valley have access to digital television through a roof top aerial.

Shaun Woodward: holding answer 17 October 2006
	Figures for penetration of digital television into Lancashire are not available. However Ofcom's recent research into the availability of digital services reported that availability of digital terrestrial television (Freeview) across the North-west of England is estimated to be 94 per cent. It is estimated that 87.2 per cent. of households in the Ribble Valley constituency can currently get digital terrestrial services, although the vast majority of households can receive digital TV via satellite, with the right equipment.
	Three quarters of UK households are currently able to receive digital terrestrial television. From switchover, coverage of digital terrestrial television will be increased to substantially match that currently achieved by analogue services.
	Information on awareness of digital switchover, is not available by county or parliamentary constituency. According to Digital UK, as of 30 September, awareness of digital switchover in the Granada ITV region was 71 per cent.

Empty Homes Agency

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what funding the Empty Homes Agency has received from the National Lottery since 1997; and for what purpose the funding was provided.

Richard Caborn: £796,000 has been awarded to the Empty Homes Agency since 1997 by the Community Fund. Three awards have been made, each aiming to highlight the problem of empty homes and other unused buildings in Britain and to help re-house those in need.
	The information is derived from the Department's Lottery award database. This is searchable at www.lottery.culture.gov.uk, and uses information supplied by the Lottery distributors.

Internet Advertising

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions her Department had with  (a) other Government departments,  (b) the food and beverage industries,  (c) Ofcom,  (d) representatives of the advertising industries,  (e) other governments and  (f) other interested parties on the regulation of advertising campaigns which use the medium of electronic games made available via the worldwide web; and if she will make a statement.

Shaun Woodward: The European Commission's proposal in December 2005 for the revision of the Television Without Frontiers Directive could be interpreted as covering some electronic games on the internet and any advertising within them. Discussions have taken place with a range of interested parties, and we continue to discuss the draft proposal with other EU member states and the European Commission. There have been no other discussions with any parties concerning the regulation of advertising in electronic games on the internet.

Live Theatre

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what financial support her Department has given to live theatre outside London in the last three financial years; and what funding has been allocated for future years.

David Lammy: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport does not fund the arts directly, but through Arts Council England, who are responsible for distributing public money from Government.
	The following figures provide a breakdown of the information requested:
	
		
			  Arts Council England funding for regularly funded organisations—Theatre 
			  £000 
			  Region  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08 
			 East 2,968 3,147 3,254 3,344 
			 East Midlands 4,522 4,734 4,825 5,085 
			 National 39,235 1,045 1,086 1,117 
			 North East 2,867 3,148 3,273 3,362 
			 North West 7,377 8,159 8,455 8,805 
			 South East 4,602 4,572 4,391 2,210 
			 South West 4,557 5,200 5,252 5,396 
			 West Midlands 4,307 18,373 18,878 19,397 
			 Yorkshire 5,312 6,784 7,012 7,215 
			 Total 75,750 55,166 56,428 55,936 
		
	
	In addition, Arts Council England has allocated theatre organisations Grants for the Arts of £11.1 million in 2004-05 rising to £11.5 million in 2005-06.
	Arts Council England has allocated regular funded organisation support up to 2007-08. Future funding is contingent on the outcome of the current Government Comprehensive Spending Review.

Museums and Galleries

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many museum and gallery visits there were in each of the last 20 years in  (a) England and  (b) each local authority area.

David Lammy: VisitBritain's Visitor Attraction Trends 2005 includes the number of visits to museums that responded to its surveys between 1989-2005. These figures are set out in the following table:
	
		
			  Survey Year  Number of visits to responding museums and galleries in England (million)  Number of responding museums and galleries in England  Number of visits to responding museums and galleries based on constant sample of 348 museums and galleries in England that provided visit figures for five years (million) 
			 1990 45.7 537 — 
			 1991 46.9 575 — 
			 1992 45.8 559 — 
			 1993 46.8 573 — 
			 1994 50.7 652 — 
			 1995 52.4 721 — 
			 1996 53.3 707 — 
			 1997 50.8 729 — 
			 1998 53.4 908 — 
			 1999 53.3 914 — 
			 2000 51.4 809 — 
			 2001 55.1 788 36.0 
			 2002 51.9 544 41.0 
			 2003 55.1 657 40.3 
			 2004 55.6 670 41.6 
			 2005 52.1 625 40.9 
		
	
	As part of best value, single tier and county councils report visits to/usage of museums per 1,000 of the population. The data provided in any given year by local authorities can be downloaded from the Audit Commission's website at:
	httpp://www.audit-commission.gov.uk/performance/dataprovision.asp
	The Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy's (CIPFA) Statistical Information Service surveys local authority museums and the findings are available in its Leisure and Recreation Statistics Estimates publication that is in the House Library.
	In mid-July 2005 the Department and its partner non-departmental public bodies commissioned Taking Part: The National Survey of Culture, Leisure and Sport. Provisional results are available at:
	http://www.culture.gov.uk/Reference_library/Research/taking_part_survey/

UK Film Council

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much has been spent by the UK Film Council in  (a) Lancashire and  (b) Ribble Valley in each of the last five years; and which projects have been supported.

Shaun Woodward: holding answer 17 October 2006
	The UK Film Council has made lottery awards, both directly and through its delegates Skillset and First Light, to organisations and film makers based in Lancashire over the last five years as follows:
	
		
			   Lottery (£) 
			 2001-02 none 
			 2002-03 59,897 
			 2003-04 48,244 
			 2004-05 86,060 
			 2005-06 555,067 
			 Total 881,181 
		
	
	None of the awards were made to projects in the Ribble Valley constituency.
	In addition to its direct funding of projects, the UK Film Council disperses a combination of lottery and grant in aid funding through the Regional Investment Fund for England (RIFE) to each of the English regions through nine Regional Screen Agencies. North West Vision is the agency tasked with supporting film activity in the north-west, including Lancashire and the Ribble Valley. In each of the last five years the UK Film Council has invested RIFE monies in North West Vision as follows:
	
		
			  £ 
			   GIA  Lottery  Total 
			 2001-02 375,000 340,000 715,000 
			 2002-03 450,000 305,000 755,000 
			 2003-04 525,000 305,000 830,000 
			 2004-05 525,000 305,000 830,000 
			 2005-06 525,000 305,000 830,000 
		
	
	Specifically, North West Vision has invested in Lancashire as follows:
	
		
			  £ 
			   GIA  Lottery  Total 
			 2001-02 n/a n/a n/a 
			 2002-03 11,613 6,530 18,143 
			 2003-04 11,033 4,500 15,533 
			 2004-05 11,035 7,500 18,535 
			 2005-06 13,500 15,122 28,622 
		
	
	None of the projects funded within Lancashire have been from the Ribble Valley constituency.
	Some awards have been made by North West Vision to film makers in the Ribble Valley through the Regional Attraction Fund, funded by the North West Development Agency. While this is not a direct investment from the UK Film Council, such funding would not have been secured without the Regional Investment Fund for England (RIFE) investment, which created the support infrastructure for the region. For example, funding awards to film makers in the Ribble Valley through the Regional Attraction Fund are as follows:
	Top Notch Productions (John Drury), Clitheroe—awarded £5,000 from the Regional Attraction Fund in November 2005. Purpose of funding—product development assistance towards the creation of a portfolio of programme proposals entitled 'China Revealed' for submission to National Geographic Television International.
	One other project (421 Productions based in Lancaster) has received £10,600 of RAF funding for strategic development.
	I have arranged for the complete list of products supported by the UK Film Council and by North West Vision's RIFE monies in Lancashire to be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

TRANSPORT

Foreign Nationals (Prosecutions)

Gwyneth Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many foreign nationals were prosecuted following Vehicle and Operator Services Agency inspections in each year since 2001, broken down by type of offence; and how many offenders were  (a) drivers and  (b) operators.

Stephen Ladyman: The Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) does not record the nationality of drivers prosecuted. It is likely that a small number of foreign nationals will have been prosecuted, particularly if they are driving for a UK operator.
	VOSA does not generally prosecute non-UK resident offenders as it cannot require the defendant to attend court, nor can any penalty given in their absence be enforced.
	The Road Safety Bill, which is currently before Parliament, includes proposals for the introduction of deposits against penalties in relation to offences detected at the roadside.

Licence Penalty Points

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many people under the age of 17 were awarded driving licence penalty points in each of the last 12 months.

Stephen Ladyman: The information is available only at disproportionate cost.

Motorbike Licences

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many  (a) light motorcycle and  (b) moped licences were (i) issued and (ii) revoked in each of the last five years.

Stephen Ladyman: The number of substantive light motorcycle licences (category A1) current at January 2006, disaggregated by the year in which they were first issued, were as follows:
	
		
			   Number 
			 2001 1,445 
			 2002 1,530 
			 2003 1,840 
			 2004 2,189 
			 2005 2,092 
		
	
	The Department does not hold any data on the number of licenses revoked. Moped only driver licences are not issued but are included with car and motorcycle provisional driver licences.

Motorbike Licences

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many provisional (a) light motorcycle and  (b) moped licences were issued in each of the last five years.

Stephen Ladyman: The number of provisional motorcycle licences current at January 2006, disaggregated by the year in which they were first issued, were as follows:
	
		
			   Number 
			 2001 143,204 
			 2002 343,941 
			 2003 471,688 
			 2004 611,267 
			 2005 818,793 
		
	
	Provisional licences do not distinguish between the different categories of motorcycle engine size. Moped only driver licences are not issued but are included with car and motorcycle provisional driver licences.

Motorbike Licences

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  how many provisional moped licences have been issued to people aged  (a) 16,  (b) 17 and  (c) 18-years-old;
	(2)  how many valid provisional moped licences there are, broken down by Government office region.

Stephen Ladyman: Provisional licences for mopeds only are not issued but are included with car provisional licences.

Motorbike Licences

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many two wheeled vehicles with an engine capacity of less than 50ccs were  (a) licensed and  (b) taxed in each of the last four years.

Stephen Ladyman: The number of motorbikes, scooters and mopeds under 50 cc licensed in each of the last four years is as follows:
	
		
			   Number 
			 2002 158,797 
			 2003 162,759 
			 2004 163,826 
			 2005 154,802

Motorcycle Accidents

Ben Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what plans he has to commission research into motorcycle accident investigation;
	(2)  whether he plans to fund research into vehicle collisions with pedestrians and the forensic process involved in subsequent investigations.

Stephen Ladyman: The Department is in the process of commissioning Phase III of its 'On-the-spot' (OTS) research studies. These provide an in-depth investigation of a sample of accidents, including those involving motorcycles and vehicle collisions with pedestrians.
	Phase I of the OTS studies was completed in 2004, and Phase II in September 2006. The Phase III study will be for a further three years.
	The objective of the studies is to provide:
	a greater understanding of injury mechanisms and injury outcomes;
	a greater understanding of the contribution of human factors, vehicle design and environment in accident causation and injury outcome; and
	evidence to support the development of legislation or other standards to reduce accidents and mitigate their effects.
	I have no plans to commission research into accident investigation processes.

Motorcycle Accidents

Ben Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what research his Department has  (a) commissioned and  (b) evaluated into accidents involving motorcycles.

Stephen Ladyman: The Department has commissioned a range of research into accidents involving motorcycles. Some key recent reports, which include evaluation of research findings, are:
	In-depth study of motorcycle accidents (DfT Road Safety Research Report 55, 2004)(1)
	The older motorcyclist (DfT Road Safety Research Report 54, 2005)(2)
	An analysis of police reports of fatal accidents involving motorcycles (TRL Report 492, 2001)(3)
	The accident risk of motorcyclists (TRL Report 607, 2004)
	Car occupant and motorcyclist deaths, 1994-2002 (TRL Report 629, 2005)(4)
	The Department has also commissioned the following ongoing research into motorcycle safety:
	In-depth study of motorcycle training
	Car drivers skills and attitudes in relation to motorcycle safety
	The Research Task Force of the Advisory Group on Motorcycling provided advice on the development of the Department's programme of research with the objective of improving motorcyclist safety. The starting point was a scoping study on motorcyclist safety that was commissioned from TRL (TRL Report 581, 2003). That report identified accident causation, training and analysis of accident risk as areas where further research was needed.
	(1 )http://www.dft.gov.uk/stellent/groups/dft_rdsafety/documents/page/dft_rdsafety_035422.pdf
	(2 )http://www.dft.gov.uk/stellent/groups/dft_rdsafety/documents/page/dft_rdsafety_035423.pdf
	(3 )http://www.trl.co.uk/store/report_detail.asp?srid=2647&pid=108
	(4 )http://www.trl.co.uk/store/report_detail.asp?srid=4956&pid=108

Safety Camera Partnerships

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the cost was of administering the speed camera network in each safety camera partnership area in the last year for which figures are available.

Stephen Ladyman: The following table shows the total expenditure of safety camera partnerships in financial year 2004-05, the latest year for which outturn figures are available.
	These figures exclude the costs of any enforcement carried out outside the national safety camera programme.
	All partnership audit certificates for 2004-05, which show a breakdown of expenditure by partner, are posted on the Department's website at:
	http://www.dft.gov.uk/stellent/groups/dft_control/documents/contentservertemplate/dft_index.hcst?n=14972&1=2
	
		
			  Partnership  Final year end position—expenditure (£) 
			 Avon and Somerset 4,298,572 
			 Bedfordshire 2,334,000 
			 Cambridgeshire 1,021,261 
			 Cheshire 2,116,635 
			 Cleveland 1,303,450 
			 Cumbria 1,409,478 
			 Derbyshire 2,003,264 
			 Devon and Cornwall 2,250,260 
			 Dorset 2,947,596 
			 Essex 4,622,413 
			 Greater Manchester 2,051,696 
			 Hampshire 2,441,528 
			 Hertfordshire 2,268,183 
			 Humberside 2,181,397 
			 Kent 2,904,627 
			 Lancashire 2,512,230 
			 Leicestershire 1,533,035 
			 Lincolnshire 1,547,048 
			 London 7,786,895 
			 Merseyside (1)— 
			 Norfolk 1,330,832 
			 North Wales 3,014,284 
			 Northamptonshire 2,875,714 
			 Northumbria 2,584,897 
			 Nottingham 3,487,003 
			 South Wales 5,319,709 
			 South Yorkshire 2,566,405 
			 Staffordshire 2,695,782 
			 Suffolk 1,522,047 
			 Surrey (1)— 
			 Sussex 2,667,264 
			 Thames Valley 4,560,943 
			 Warwickshire 2,157,558 
			 West Mercia 2,289,700 
			 West Midlands 2,648,689 
			 West Yorkshire 3,576,137 
			 Wiltshire 2,249,252 
			 (1) Joined safety camera programme 1 April 2005

Single Vehicle Approval Test

Gwyneth Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he plans to change the level and degree of technical examination in the Single Vehicle Approval Test; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Ladyman: I have no plans at present. However, I will be considering whether any action is necessary once the draft revision to the Motor Vehicle Type Approval Framework Directive 70/156/EEC is agreed and published. My starting point for any changes would be to do no more than what is required to ensure that the test is compatible with our European obligations, maintains current levels of road safety and environmental protection and place the minimum burden on industry.

Statutory Vehicle Testing

Gwyneth Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the Department's estimate is of the percentage error rate in the annual tests of  (a) cars,  (b) light goods vehicles,  (c) motorcycles,  (d) heavy goods vehicles and  (e) passenger carrying vehicles.

Stephen Ladyman: The Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) publishes error rates for Heavy Goods Vehicle (HGV) and Passenger Service Vehicle (PSV) tests annually in an Effectiveness Report which is available at the House of Commons Library, Business & Transport section and on-line at: www.vosa.gov.uk.
	The content of the error checks for HGV/PSV versus MOT testers are different and cannot, therefore, be used as a direct comparison to each other.
	
		
			  VOSA test stations—results of error rate checks from April to September 2006 
			   Percentage 
			 HGV 0.067 
			 PSV 0.060 
		
	
	
		
			  MOT garages—number of tester assessments requiring follow-up action 
			   Percentage 
			 Cars and Light Goods Vehicles 0.3 
			 Motorcycles 0

Statutory Vehicle Testing

Gwyneth Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many front line technical staff employed in the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency are involved in the statutory testing of vehicles; how the number is expected to change within the next 12 months; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Ladyman: The Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) currently has 675 front line technical testing posts. VOSA anticipates that with its current programme of work, 573 front line technical testing posts will be needed in 18 months time. Should new work be undertaken, these resources will be re-considered.

Statutory Vehicle Testing

Gwyneth Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency has to implement the results of its market research on the preferred wishes of heavy goods vehicles and passenger carrying vehicles operators on the location and provision of facilities and services in conducting the annual testing of vehicles.

Stephen Ladyman: The Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) conducts a number of market research surveys. The views of the Heavy Goods Vehicle and Passenger carrying operators will be taken into account as part of VOSA's wider Strategic review. This includes the current study into the possible outsourcing of work. It is too early to say what conclusions will be reached in relation to implementing the trade's wishes.

Statutory Vehicle Testing

Gwyneth Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what elements made up the output units used by the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency in assessing its performance in conducting the statutory testing of vehicles  (a) in 2005-06 and  (b) when first introduced; what the weighting of each element was in each case; what changes have been made to the (i) elements and (ii) weighting of the elements; and when each such change was made.

Stephen Ladyman: The Vehicle and Operator Services Agency does not use output units as a measure of performance in conducting statutory testing of vehicles.

Statutory Vehicle Testing

Gwyneth Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the cost was of creating the new Vehicle and Operator Services Agency Directors' suite on the second floor of Berkeley House in Bristol, broken down into  (a) building works,  (b) redecoration and furnishing,  (c) IT infrastructure and  (d) other costs.

Stephen Ladyman: The Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) is in the process of refurbishing its ageing headquarters office block in Bristol. To date, VOSA's costs for the refurbishment to the second floor in Berkeley House, Bristol, have been:
	
		
			   £ 
			  (a) Building works 202,842.39 
			  (b) Redecoration and furnishing 43,059.00 
			  (c) IT infrastructure 9,674.65 
			  (d) Other costs 47,991.13 
		
	
	The second floor refurbishment is due to be completed in November 2006. Afterwards the remainder of the building will be refurbished.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Algeria

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment she has made of the safety of political dissidents in Algeria.

Geoff Hoon: Although the UK continues to have some concerns about the human rights situation in Algeria, we recognise the improvements made in recent years. These include the criminalisation of torture, a new police code of conduct and regional elections which addressed the concerns of Kabylie groups about under-representation. Amnesty International's report of its most recent visit to Algeria in May 2005, acknowledges that there has been progress on strengthening safeguards to protect detainees in custody and a fall in the number of allegations of torture in custody.
	My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister has paid tribute to President Bouteflika for the changes he has brought about in Algeria. In a referendum in 2005, the Algerian people voted for a 'Charter for Peace and National Reconciliation'. The Charter, which came into force in February 2006, granted an amnesty to those convicted of terrorist offences or prepared to surrender themselves to the security service. More than 2,000 terrorist prisoners have been released. In addition, the Charter provides for the families of victims of terrorism to register the disappearance or death of their relative and obtain compensation.

Burma

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions she has had with the government of South Korea about human rights and political freedom in Burma.

Ian McCartney: I raised the human rights situation in Burma with the South Korean Ambassador on 12 October. I also discussed the issue with the South Korean Foreign Minister on 20 July and again with the First Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade on 4 September.

Burma

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 
	(1)  what plans she has to encourage Burma's State Peace and Development Council to invite independent, international monitors to  (a) the constitution-drafting process in the National Convention and  (b) the proposed referendum;
	(2)  what assessment she has made of the National Convention in Burma; and what steps she plans to take to encourage the State Peace and Development Council to ensure that the constitution-drafting process and the proposed referendum meet international standards.

Ian McCartney: The National Convention has come together intermittently over the last 13 years to draw up a Constitution for Burma. The latest meeting of the Convention began on 10 October. The State Peace and Development Council has consistently ignored international appeals, including those of the UN Secretary General, to ensure the process is genuinely inclusive. It has resisted calls to open the process to outside observers.
	The UK has consistently urged the Burmese government to ensure the National Convention meets international standards. In my letter to the Burmese Foreign Minister on 5 July 2006, I reiterated the importance we attach to ensuring that the National Convention is inclusive and transparent, but that it had, in our view, failed to meet these requirements to date.
	We will continue to encourage greater inclusiveness and transparency and, as the process moves forward, will be considering with our partners what our response should be, including the question of whether to offer to send international observers to monitor the proposed referendum and general election.

Camel Racing

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions  (a) she and  (b) her officials have had with the Governments of (i) United Arab Emirates, (ii) Qatar, (iii) Pakistan, (iv) Bangladesh and (v) Sudan on the use of children in camel jockey racing.

Kim Howells: There have been no recent discussions on the issue of children being used as camel jockeys. In Qatar and the United Arab Emirates there have been no reports of abuses since legislation was introduced banning the practice in early 2005.

Camel Racing

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs further to her Department's Human Rights Report 2005, what progress has been made with the Global Opportunity Fund project to end the use of children as camel jockeys; and if she will make a statement.

Ian McCartney: No projects have been funded on ending the use of children as camel jockeys under the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's (FCO) Global Opportunities Fund. The FCO's Human Rights Project Fund co-funded an Anti-Slavery International project to end the use of camel jockeys. This project was focused mainly on Qatar and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). It ceased on 30 September 2004.
	In 2005 Qatar issued a law banning the employment, training and use of children under the age of 18 in camel races. In the UAE a presidential decree was issued banning the use of boys who were under 16 years of age. The Ministry of Interior replaced the camel racing federation as the organisation responsible for regulating the sport. New measures have been introduced such as stringent immigration checks and a requirement for all children to have their own passport. Breaching these rules will result in a fine and persistent offenders may receive a jail sentence. The UAE also signed an agreement with the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) whereby UNICEF will process the registration, repatriation and integration of camel jockeys in their home countries. This venture is entirely funded by the UAE. Both countries have also conducted successful tests into the use of robot jockeys.
	We are not aware of any reports of abuse since the new legislation was passed.

China

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions she has had with the Chinese Gvernment about  (a) sustainable development,  (b) corporate and social responsibility and  (c) poverty reduction in Africa.

Ian McCartney: My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister discussed both China's future development and Africa with Premier Wen Jiabao last month.
	China and the UK entered into a pioneering sustainable development dialogue last year promoting closer co-operation on issues including environmental protection, urban and rural development, and sustainable consumption and production. The first meeting of the formal ministerial round of the Dialogue will take place in Beijing later this month. My hon. Friend the Minister for Climate Change and the Environment, will represent the UK.
	As China's economy develops, and Chinese companies become more active internationally, we are encouraging them to adopt international best practice in corporate governance. Through the Global Opportunities Fund, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office is supporting the establishment of the Chinese Business Leaders Forum to promote business transparency standards and practices to reduce corruption.
	The Department for International Development (DFID) has been increasing its contacts with China on development issues, including poverty reduction in Africa. During a recent visit to China, DFID's Permanent Secretary agreed with Chinese officials to begin a regular senior level dialogue. This should reinforce the agreement between the EU and China at their summit on 9 September to develop a structured dialogue on Africa and explore avenues for practical co-operation on the ground in partnership with the African side.

China

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment she has made of the relationship between China and Zimbabwe.

Ian McCartney: China has a growing presence in Zimbabwe. It has agreed a series of joint projects, notably in the agriculture, mining, transport, and heavy industrial sectors, under which China provides expertise, equipment and soft finance in exchange for mineral or other concessions. China also provides military assistance to Zimbabwe.
	Rather than initiate the reforms recommended by the International Monetary Fund the UN and others, to arrest Zimbabwe's startling decline, the Government of Zimbabwe has adopted a "Look East" policy. China is one of the countries they look to for support. We welcome China's engagement in Africa, but we have stressed that it should be in support of the African Union's New Partnership for Africa's Development agenda. We therefore welcome the agreement at the EU/China Summit on 9 September to work together to help Africa achieve peace, stability and sustainable development and look forward to making progress in these areas, including Zimbabwe.

Gay Rights

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions she has had with her European counterparts about promoting gay rights.

Ian McCartney: The promotion of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) rights has not been raised recently at ministerial level with our European partners. However, the EU has been active on these issues in UN fora. The EU raised LGBT rights during the interactive dialogues with the High Commissioner for Human Rights and the UN Special Rapporteurs on Violence Against Women and Contemporary Racism during the second session of the UN Human Rights Council (19 September-6 October 2006). At official level, the UK continues to work closely with EU partners to ensure that LGBT non-governmental organisations receive fair consideration when applying for consultative status with the UN. We continue to look out for suitable opportunities to raise concerns where we have them.

Gay Rights

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions she has had with her counterparts in eastern Europe on tackling discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation.

Ian McCartney: The promotion of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) rights has not been raised recently at ministerial level with our eastern European partners. However, the EU presented a demarche to the Russian authorities in June 2006 detailing its concerns about events surrounding the proposed gay pride parade in Moscow on 27 May 2006. The EU has also been active on these issues in UN fora. The EU raised LGBT rights during the interactive dialogues with the UN Special Rapporteurs on Extrajudicial, Summary and Arbitrary Executions and Contemporary Racism during the second session of the UN Human Rights Council (19 September - 6 October 2006). At official level, the UK continues to work closely with EU partners to ensure that LGBT non-governmental organisations receive fair consideration when applying for consultative status with the UN. We continue to look out for suitable opportunities to raise concerns where we have them.

Gibraltar

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the airport customs procedures are for air passengers travelling  (a) from Gibraltar into the Schengen travel area and  (b) from the Schengen travel area into Gibraltar.

Geoff Hoon: Travellers to and from Gibraltar airport are subject to customs and immigration procedures at their destination airport. The Schengen travel area, of course, is about immigration issues, not about customs procedures.

Gibraltar

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what status the tripartite agreement has given to  (a) British aircraft travelling to Gibraltar when in Spanish airspace and  (b) aircraft taking off from Gibraltar travelling to the UK through Spanish airspace.

Geoff Hoon: Under the arrangements agreed at the Cordoba meeting of the trilateral forum on 18 September, the Spanish Government committed itself with immediate effect to ending all current discriminatory restrictions imposed by Spain over the use of its airspace by all civilian aircraft flying in and out of Gibraltar airport.
	Under the Cordoba agreement, Gibraltar airport remains a Ministry of Defence airport, but will now enjoy the benefits, and the obligations, of EU aviation measures as any other EU airport.

Gibraltar

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs why Gibraltarian citizens will be required to obtain immigration and customs clearance from Spanish officials before boarding aircraft in Gibraltar.

Geoff Hoon: Gibraltarian citizens will not, in general, be required to obtain immigration and customs clearance from Spanish officials before boarding aircraft in Gibraltar. Nevertheless, under the arrangements agreed at the Cordoba meeting of the Trilateral Forum, passengers flying from Gibraltar Airport to a Spanish airport will be given advance entry clearance into Spain before boarding their aeroplane. This is similar to the advance immigration controls used for the Eurostar train service.

Gibraltar

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs why Spanish citizens flying from the airport in Gibraltar will not be subject to Gibraltarian customs procedures.

Geoff Hoon: Under the arrangements agreed at the Cordoba meeting of the Trilateral Forum, most passengers flying from Gibraltar will be subject to Gibraltarian customs procedures. However, by virtue of an administrative waiver by the Government of Gibraltar, passengers flying from Gibraltar Airport to a Spanish airport, accessing the terminal from the north side of the frontier, will not in normal circumstances be subject to Gibraltar customs controls. Such passengers will be treated as transit passengers in the terminal. However, the Gibraltar authorities retain the right to exercise such controls on grounds of security or other exceptional or unusual circumstances that render them necessary or desirable.

Gibraltar

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what restrictions there are on vessels travelling  (a) from Spanish ports to Gibraltarian ports and  (b) from Gibraltarian ports to Spanish ports.

Geoff Hoon: Vessels travelling from Spanish ports to Gibraltar can do so directly and with no restrictions. Spanish restrictions require military vessels travelling from Gibraltar to travel to another non-Spanish port before entering a Spanish port. This restriction is not applied to cargo vessels, cruise ships or other passenger boats.

Gibraltar

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the customs procedures are for vessels travelling  (a) from Gilbraltarian ports to Spanish ports and  (b) from Spanish ports to Gibraltarian ports.

Geoff Hoon: Vessels arriving in Spanish ports from Gibraltar are subject to the same standard Spanish customs regime as vessels arriving from any non-Spanish port.
	All vessels arriving at Gibraltar from any destination, including Spanish ports, require port, immigration and customs clearance. Under customs procedures, cargo ships require an inward or outward manifest of goods to be landed or exported to or from Gibraltar. Yachts are to report to a marina upon arrival and are required to produce a crew, passenger and stores declaration.

Gibraltar

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what effect the tripartite agreement has had on claims by the Spanish government over sovereign British territorial waters surrounding Gibraltar.

Geoff Hoon: The Tripartite agreements have had no effect on the United Kingdom and Spain's respective positions on the waters surrounding Gibraltar.

Gibraltar

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the customs procedures are for Gibraltarian citizens who cross the frontier border from Spain to Gibraltar.

Geoff Hoon: Gibraltarian citizens who cross the border from Spain to Gibraltar are not in practice subject to customs checks by the Spanish customs authorities before they can exit Spain. They are subject to a customs check by Gibraltarian customs upon entering Gibraltar.

International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 
	(1)  what discussions she has had with her UN counterparts about the  (a) effectiveness,  (b) cost and  (c) number of convictions of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda;
	(2)  what lessons have been learnt from the operation of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda;
	(3)  what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda.

Kim Howells: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has not held discussions with UN counterparts about the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR). Officials are in regular contact with a range of interlocutors, including at the UN and ICTR, about all aspects of the Tribunal's work.
	The UK is a strong supporter of the work of ICTR and contributed over £4.5 million towards its budget in 2006-07 through UN assessed contributions.
	By the end of 2006, ICTR will have completed 32 cases. To date, 31 judgements have been handed down, 26 individuals have been convicted and five acquitted.
	We are concerned about the high costs of ICTR and keen to ensure that the Tribunal sticks to its agreed completion strategy. Nonetheless, our assessment is that ICTR and other international criminal tribunals, continue to play an effective and essential role in the international community's efforts to combat impunity for the perpetrators of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes. This work takes place in parallel with efforts to strengthen domestic justice systems in post-conflict situations.
	The work of ICTR has provided valuable insight into the operation of an international tribunal. This experience is already being drawn upon in the work of other international tribunals and courts. Examples include the success of ICTR's outreach programme in making the work of the court more accessible to the Rwandan people and its involvement in capacity building in the Rwandan justice sector.

Iranian Refugees

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions she has had with the  (a) Iranian and  (b) Iraqi authorities about the living conditions of Iranian refugees living inside the Iraqi border; and if she will make a statement.

Kim Howells: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has not held discussions about Iranian refugees living inside Iraq with either the Iranian or Iraqi authorities.

Iraq

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment she has made of reports that fundamentalist militias are operating in Iraq and are persecuting gay Iraqis.

Geoff Hoon: We are aware of reports that various groups of Iraqi society are being persecuted including by militia members, for example women, ethnic and religious minorities and homosexual men. We are often not able to confirm details, but we do raise serious human rights allegations with the Iraqi Government whenever possible.
	The Iraqi Government are fully committed to tackling illegal militias and to providing stability and security for all Iraqis. Multi-national forces in Iraq are assisting, including by strengthening capacity within the Iraqi security forces. In addition, the United Kingdom is working with Iraqi authorities and international partners to train police, including in human rights, to provide the skills, professionalism and operating systems to help protect all Iraq's diverse society.

Judicial Co-operation

Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the Government's policy is on the transfer of certain areas of co-operation in judicial matters from title VI (treaty of the European Union) to title IV (treaty of the European Community) through the use of the passerelle clause (article 42).

Geoff Hoon: We welcome efforts to take forward EU co-operation in the justice and home affairs (JHA) field, in line with the Hampton Court delivery agenda. We would need to be fully satisfied that any changes to the existing arrangements would genuinely improve the decision-making process and that such a move would be in the UK's national security interest.
	The 'passerelle' clause was discussed by EU Interior and Justice Ministries at the JHA Informal Council in Tampere on 20-22 September, and the JHA Council of 5-6 October. A broad exchange of views took place, in which there was limited support for the 'passerelle'.
	It is, as yet, unclear whether the Finnish presidency will bring forward further work in this area during their presidency but the Government consider the debate to be over for the time being. We will keep Parliament informed of any developments.

Nicaragua

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment she has made of the extent of the commitment of the Sandanistas in Nicaragua to democracy.

Geoff Hoon: Nicaragua is a constitutional democracy with executive, legislative, judicial and electoral branches of government. Political parties in Nicaragua, including the Sandinista Party, have demonstrated commitment to democracy through participation in, and acceptance of the results of, democratic elections since 1990. The Government will encourage the next government in Nicaragua to ensure the country continues along its democratic path. Our Embassy in San Jose, which also represents the UK in Nicaragua, and the Department for International Development office based in Managua, Nicaragua, will continue to monitor the elections, and subsequently the new administration in Nicaragua closely.

North Korea

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what  (a) legal undertakings and  (b) diplomatic commitments were breached by North Korea in testing a nuclear explosive device on 9 October.

Ian McCartney: A confirmed nuclear explosive test by North Korea would provide proof that it had contravened its international legal obligations under article II of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation treaty, whereby it undertook not to manufacture or otherwise acquire nuclear weapons. A test, if confirmed, would also have breached the 1991 Joint Declaration of South and North Korea on the Denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula and disregarded the clear requirements set out in UN Security Council resolution 1695 (2006).

North Korea

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what proposals the United Kingdom plans to put to the United Nations Security Council in respect of the nuclear test conducted by North Korea on 9 October.

Ian McCartney: The Security Council is considering a sanctions package covering a range of measures, including measures designed to impact upon those areas of most concern to the international community—the Democratic People's Republic of Korea's nuclear and missile capabilities. The UK is pressing for full consideration of all the measures presented so far and is pushing for a robust resolution under chapter VII of the UN Charter.

North Korea

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the Prime Minister's statement on the nuclear test by North Korea issued on her official website on 9 October, what commitments under the nuclear non-proliferation treaty were breached by North Korea.

Kim Howells: A nuclear test by North Korea contravenes its commitments under Article II of the Non-Proliferation Treaty
	"not to manufacture or acquire such [nuclear] weapons or devices".

Pakistan

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions she has had with the Government of Pakistan about the proposed execution of Mirza Tahir Hussein.

Kim Howells: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for North-West Leicestershire (David Taylor) on 11 October 2006,  Official Report, column 764W.

Russia

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 
	(1)  what recent discussions she has had with the Government of Russia about  (a) freedom of speech,  (b) the independence of the judiciary,  (c) civil liberties and  (d) human rights in Russia;
	(2)  what recent discussions she has had with the Government of Russia about relations with non-governmental organisations.

Geoff Hoon: When I visited Russia in September I had meetings with Ministers from the Russian Foreign Ministry and the Deputy Chairman of the National Security Council as well as representatives of the business and non-governmental organisations (NGO) communities. I had discussions on a broad range of bilateral and foreign policy issues including human rights.
	My discussions covered the democratic development of Russia; the deteriorating environment in which NGOs and civil society operate and recently adopted NGO and extremism legislation which could be used to restrict further the legitimate activities of NGOs and freedom of the media.
	Human rights remain a key element of our co-operation with Russia. The Annual Report on Human Rights, released on 12 October, sets out some of our major concerns about human rights, democracy and rule of law in Russia. It details a number of occasions when Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) Ministers have raised these issues with the Russian Government over the last 12 months. The report is available on the FCO website at: www.fco.gov.uk.

Russia

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions she has had with the Russian Foreign Minister on British firms' involvement with oil and gas exploration in Russia.

Geoff Hoon: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has discussed oil and gas issues with the Russian Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov, on several occasions, most recently on 20 September. I have also discussed these issues with my Russian counterparts, including during my visit to Moscow on 7 September.

Senegal

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions she has had with the government of Senegal on the trial of Hissene Habre.

Ian McCartney: Our Ambassador in Dakar, as well as other EU Heads of Mission in Dakar, is urging the Senegalese government to pass the necessary legislation as soon as possible. The United Kingdom, together with our European partners, supports the Senegalese government decision to try Hissene Habre in Senegal for alleged human rights violations committed during his time as President of Chad. President Wade of Senegal announced at the African Union summit in July that he would propose to the Senegalese National Assembly a change in the law to allow Habre's trial to take place in Senegal.

Somalia

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment she has made of  (a) the prospects for peace and  (b) progress towards democracy in Somalia.

Ian McCartney: With our international partners, we continue to be gravely concerned about conflict in Somalia. The international community is working actively to promote a peaceful resolution to Somalia's difficulties on the basis of a sustainable peace process.
	The Transitional Federal Charter of the Somali Republic, which was agreed in Nairobi in February 2004, is intended to be the basis for a federal constitution to be adopted by popular referendum during the final year of the transition period. The Charter stipulates that the Transitional Federal Parliament should have a five year term. We continue to believe that this Charter and the institutions created under it are the only existing mechanism for restoring democratic governance in Somalia, and the only mechanism that enjoys international support.

Somalia

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions she has had with her colleagues at the UN Security Council about violence in Somalia.

Ian McCartney: As a permanent member of the UN Security Council, we participated in the Council's discussion of a possible peace support mission to Somalia on 25 September. The Security Council supports the Transitional Federal Government and Transitional Federal Parliament as the internationally recognised authorities to restore peace, stability and governance to Somalia. It has welcomed the agreement reached in Khartoum between the Transitional Federal Government and Union of Islamic Courts and agreed to consider a peace support mission, if it believes such a mission will contribute to peace and stability in Somalia, on the basis of a detailed mission plan. It has urged all parties to engage constructively to further progress in pursuit of a sustainable outcome.

Somalia

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment she has made of the security situation in Somalia.

Ian McCartney: The security situation in Somalia remains extremely fragile. With our international partners, we are working actively to promote a peaceful resolution to Somalia's difficulties on the basis of a sustainable peace process. There are no military solutions. We continue to discuss with the African Union and neighbouring states their efforts to improve security and to ensure that Somaliland and Puntland remain stable. We urge all parties, within Somalia and across the region, to commit to dialogue and reject confrontation. We continue to believe that the Transitional Federal Charter for Somalia and the institutions created under it are the only existing mechanism for restoring long-term stability to Somalia.

Somalia

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions she has had with the Government of Ethiopia about peace and security in Somalia.

Ian McCartney: My noble Friend the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, Lord Triesman of Tottenham, our ambassador in Addis Ababa and embassy officials have frequent discussions with Prime Minister Meles and other representatives of the Government of Ethiopia about the situation in Somalia. We continue to urge all parties inside and outside Somalia to refrain from action that could provoke violence, to respect the UN arms embargo on Somalia and to pursue a peaceful resolution through dialogue under the Khartoum process. We have also held discussions at the UN General Assembly on any role the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development might play, with UN Security Council approval, in achieving greater peace and security to encourage the process of dialogue.

South Africa

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations she has made to the South African Government on expropriations of farm land by that Government.

Ian McCartney: The Government have made no representations to the Government of South Africa on the issue of land expropriation. In the areas of land reform and restitution, the Government of South Africa is officially committed to a constitutional and market-based process of land reform through the willing buyer, willing seller principle. The Government of South Africa have, however, indicated that where this principle falls through, it may in future be prepared to resort to court-authorised legal compulsory purchase, with the owners having the right to challenge in court the price they are paid for the land.

South Asia

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions she has had with the Governments of  (a) India and  (b) Pakistan about arms procurement.

Kim Howells: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has had no discussions with the Government of India, nor with the Government of Pakistan about arms procurement.

Sri Lanka

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment she has made of the security situation in Sri Lanka.

Geoff Hoon: During 2006 and particularly over recent months, the security situation in Sri Lanka has deteriorated. The humanitarian situation is now very serious. As a result of the recent violence there are now over 200,000 additional internally displaced persons (IDPs). The Department for International Development has provided over £500,000 in additional relief through the UN and the Red Cross.
	There have been allegations of serious human rights violations by all parties to the conflict. It is essential to establish the truth of such allegations. We therefore welcome President Rajapkase's initiative for a national commission to inquire into recent killings, disappearances and abductions in Sri Lanka and a panel of international observers to oversee the process. It is important that the investigations are thorough, credible and provide a proper basis where necessary, for due legal process.
	We and EU partners continue to make clear to the Government and to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) that the only viable way to a peaceful resolution of this tragic conflict is for both sides to negotiate, and to work constructively towards a settlement that addresses the grievances and legitimate aspirations of all Sri Lankans. We continue to call on both sides to support the 2002 cease-fire agreement in deed as well as word.
	The Sri Lankan President has convened an All-Party Conference to consider options for a long-term settlement. We support the aims of the Conference and hope it can deliver a way forward for the peace process.
	We welcome the recent proposal for talks between the Sri Lankan Government and the LTTE over 28-29 October in Geneva and urge both sides to participate in good faith, and to talk constructively about the cessation of the hostilities now, and for the longer-term. We strongly support the efforts of the Norwegian Government on the talks currently proposed and on their ongoing facilitation of the peace process. We remain in close contact with them.

Student Visas

Douglas Carswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what estimate her Department has made of the number of students from  (a) Russia and  (b) the Ukraine who have outstayed their student visa.

Liam Byrne: I have been asked to reply.
	No such estimate is possible given the withdrawal of embarkation controls at seaports, small and medium sized airports in 1994 and the reconfiguration of the remaining controls at larger airports in 1998. The e-Borders programme that is scheduled to commence in 2008 will provide an electronic record of all those entering and leaving the UK.

Sudan

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions she has had with the Government of Sudan about a UN force in Darfur.

Ian McCartney: We continue to press the Government of Sudan through our embassies in Khartoum and Addis Ababa, seat of the African Union, and through regional, African, Arab and UN partners to accept a UN peacekeeping force for Darfur. My noble Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, Lord Triesman of Tottenham, discussed this matter with the Sudanese Foreign Minister in September. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for International Development intends to travel to Sudan this week for further discussions with President Bashir and the Special Representative to the UN Secretary-General. We are also co-ordinating our approaches on this issue with our key international partners.

Turkey

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions she has had with her EU counterparts about Turkey's accession to the EU.

Geoff Hoon: We regularly raise Turkey's EU accession with EU counterparts and I have discussed this issue with a number of my EU colleagues since my visit to Ankara in September. My recent visits to Paris and Lisbon, on 2 and 4 October respectively are good examples.

Turkey

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment she has made of the prospects of Turkey joining the EU.

Geoff Hoon: We strongly support Turkey's EU candidature and we were pleased to open EU accession negotiations with Turkey on 3 October 2005. Turkey and the EU agreed that the shared objective of these negotiations is accession and that advancement of the negotiations will be guided by Turkey's progress in preparing for membership. Turkey will need to demonstrate progress and implement its obligations to the EU, including the Ankara Agreement Protocol. We look forward to the European Commission's annual Progress Report, which is due to be published on 8 November.

Uganda

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions she has had with the government of Uganda about the International Criminal Court and Joseph Kony.

Ian McCartney: Our High Commissioner in Kampala called on President Museveni on 10 October to discuss a number of issues, including the Juba talks process between the Lord's Resistance Army and the government of Uganda. He made clear that the Government welcome the fact that the Ugandan government is maintaining a close dialogue with the International Criminal Court.
	We continue to follow the Juba process closely. Whilst the government of Southern Sudan's mediation effort has made considerable progress, the truce reached on 26 August remains very fragile. We encourage all parties to show restraint, focus on implementing the agreements reached to date and find a solution which brings both peace and justice to the people of northern Uganda.

Venezuala

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions she has had with the Government of Venezuela about arms procurement.

Geoff Hoon: Our embassy in Caracas has continuing dialogue with the Government of Venezuela on a variety of issues, bilaterally and as a member of the EU. They have discussed arms procurement, both in the context of the UK proposal for an arms trade treaty and more generally.

Venezuala

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment she has made of the implications of the decision by Russia to sell military jets to Venezuela.

Geoff Hoon: We continually assess patterns of military procurement throughout the world and their implications. We monitor developments closely to better inform our own case-by-case consideration of UK export licence applications against the Consolidated EU and National Export Licensing Criteria. We also hold discussions on global military procurement with EU colleagues and other partners. This applies to the sale referred to by the hon. Member.
	As with all arms transactions, we expect both Venezuela and Russia to exercise their right to military procurement and sales in a responsible and measured manner. It is in Venezuela's interest to preserve regional stability, militarily and otherwise.

TREASURY

Bridges Community Ventures

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the total value has been of  (a) his Department's contracts held with and  (b) payments and grants made by his Department to Bridges Community Ventures since May 2002.

John Healey: The Treasury's records show no contracts with or payments to Bridges Community Ventures.

Council of Economic Advisers

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether members of his Council of Economic Advisers have specific remits.

John Healey: I refer the hon. Member to the Prime Minister's written statement to the House on 24 July 2006,  Official Report, column 86WS.

Departmental Away Days

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what away days were undertaken by his Department's employees in the last 12 months; and what the  (a) location,  (b) date,  (c) activity,  (d) purpose and  (e) cost was of each.

John Healey: Information on individual Treasury teams' away days and similar events is not held centrally and could be obtained only at a disproportionate cost. There have been no away days for all Treasury staff in the last 12 months.

Departmental Contracts

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what contracts his Department holds with  (a) Capital One Financial Services Group and  (b) International Clothing Designs.

John Healey: The Treasury's records show no contracts with either company.

Departmental Directors

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will place in the Library his Department's Director of Policy and Planning's  (a) job description and  (b) work objectives.

John Healey: As set out in HM Treasury Press Notice 61/04 of July 2004, the Director of Policy and Planning has responsibility for short to medium term coordination of policy.

Departmental Directors

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many directors in his Department do not report to a managing director.

John Healey: There are four Directors in HM Treasury that do not report to a Managing Director (Director General equivalent): the Director of Operations, the Director of Policy and Planning and the Head of Treasury Legal Advisers report to the permanent secretary. The Director of the Government Social Research Unit reports to the Head of the Government Economic Service.

Departmental Electricity Consumption

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his Department's electricity consumption was in kilowatts in each year since 1997.

John Healey: For the years 1997-98 to 2002-03, I refer to the answer given to the hon. Member for South Suffolk (Mr. Yeo) on 30 April 2003,  Official Report, column 347W. For subsequent years, the information for 1 Horse Guards Road, which contains the Treasury and other occupiers, is as follows:
	
		
			   Electricity consumption 
			 2003-04 8,296,135 
			 2004-05 8,035,434 
			 2005-06 7,594,476

Departmental Flag Flying

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many times his Department's building at Number 1 Horseguards Parade has flown  (a) the Union Jack and  (b) the Investors in People flag in the past 12 months.

John Healey: The Union flag is raised above 1 Horse Guards Road in accordance with the guidelines issued by DCMS and followed by all central Government departments. The Investors in People flag has not been flown in the last 12 months.

Departmental Water Supply

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the water supply to his Department is metered.

John Healey: The Treasury's water supply is metered.

EU Accession States

Keith Vaz: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment his Department has made of the impact of workers from the new European Union member states on the UK economy since 2004.

Edward Balls: Evidence from the most recent Home Office Accession Monitoring Report (August 2006) suggests that nationals from the Accession 8 countries continue to come to the UK to work, contributing to the success of the UK economy, whilst making very few demands of our welfare system or public services. Overall migrants make a net fiscal contribution to the UK. In many cases, Accession workers are supporting the provision of public services in communities across the UK.
	A paper entitled 'The Impact of Free Movement of Workers from Central and Eastern Europe on the UK Labour Market' (2006) published by the Department for Work and Pensions, suggests that the impact of migration from the new EU member states has been broadly positive, reflecting the flexibility and speed of adjustment of the UK labour market. The authors also found no discernible statistical evidence supporting the view that the inflow of A8 migrants is contributing to a rise in claimant unemployment in the UK.

Financial Services Authority

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what guidance the Financial Services Authority has provided to mortgage lenders on prudent limits for using automated valuations when making lending decisions on domestic property;
	(2)  what advice the Financial Services Authority has provided on the use of automated valuation models for mortgage lending.

Edward Balls: In the context of the implementation of the Capital Requirements Directive, FSA staff are currently engaged in discussions with representatives of the mortgage lending industry concerning the use of automated valuation models including alongside home information packs. Some initial thinking has been communicated to industry representatives suggesting a flexible approach by the FSA subject to firms' compliance with the requirements of the directive. In line with the FSA's principles-based approach, it is not the FSA's current intention to issue formal guidance on this question. Discussions with industry representatives are continuing.

Funerals

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether casual suppliers of services to a funeral director are responsible for their own tax liabilities.

Dawn Primarolo: Individuals who supply casual services directly to a funeral director are responsible for their own tax liabilities only if they are providing those services under a contract for services and, therefore, genuinely in business on their own account. Otherwise where there is an employer-employee relationship between the parties then the funeral director is responsible for deduction of income tax and national insurance contributions (NICs) on any payments made to workers.
	Where, however, the funeral director has contracted for the provision of a complete service with another firm and they invoice the funeral director for those services, then the firm supplying that service is responsible for determining the correct employment status of its workers and where necessary making the correct tax and NICs deductions.

Funerals

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether there is an employee-employer relationship between funeral directors and  (a) organists,  (b) vergers and  (c) choirmasters retained by a church to provide services at a funeral.

Dawn Primarolo: Where the organist, verger or choirmaster is provided by the church and booked by the minister there is no employer-employee relationship between the funeral director and the individual.

Funerals

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what responsibility a funeral director has in respect of the employment status of  (a) organists,  (b) pall bearers and  (c) other suppliers of services for funerals.

Dawn Primarolo: Like anyone who engages workers, a funeral director must establish the correct employment status for any individuals who provide services direct to them or their client. Where there is an employer-employee relationship between the parties then the funeral director is responsible for the deduction of income tax and national insurance contributions (NICs). In the case of an organist who is provided by the church and booked by the minister, then the church administrator would be responsible for the deduction of income tax and NICs from any payments received for the organist's services.
	Where the cemetery or crematorium authorities or other providers supply their own uniformed pall bearers and invoice the funeral director for those services then they would not be the employees of the funeral director and he would not be responsible for deduction of income tax and national insurance. Freelance pall bearers on the other hand would only be categorised as having no employer-employee relationship with the funeral director if they were genuinely in business on their own account. These rules may be applied to other suppliers of services for funerals.

Funerals

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will provide binding opinions on the recent tax inquiries that have been made to his Department by Chiltern Funerals Ltd.

Dawn Primarolo: Ministers do not generally comment on individual cases. If a taxpayer is unhappy with a view expressed by HM Revenue and Customs, there are various options open to him or her, including appealing to the General or Special Commissioners.

Gym Facilities (HM Treasury)

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether HM Treasury has a gym.

John Healey: The Treasury has a gym which is run by a private company, Energy Fitness Professionals. Membership is available on a fee-paying basis to Treasury and HMRC staff who are co-located in the Horse Guards Road/Parliament Street building.

Household Expenditure (Residential Extensions)

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether household expenditure on residential extensions to existing homes counts towards the savings ratio.

John Healey: The information requested fall within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Colin Mowl, dated 18 October 2006:
	The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question on whether household expenditure on residential extensions to existing homes counts towards the savings ratio. I am replying in her absence. (94672)
	Household expenditure on residential extensions to existing homes does not count towards the savings ratio.
	The saving ratio is the percentage of households' disposable income that they have not spent on consumption goods and services, and which they can save. Savings are invested in financial or non-financial assets.
	The expenditure by householders on residential extensions is classified as a form of investment (gross fixed capital formation) in the National Accounts, and not as current, or consumption, expenditure. The investment in extensions is therefore a use of savings, and is not a component in the calculation of the household saving ratio.
	Methodological information on the National Accounts can be found in the publication 'United Kingdom National Accounts Concepts, Sources and Methods' http://www.statistics.gov.uk/StatBase/Product.asp?vlnk=1144&Pos=&ColRank =l&Rank=208
	Tables showing accounts for the Household sector can be found within the publication 'United Kingdom Economic Accounts', tables A37-41 http://www.statistics.gov.uk/StatBase/Product.asp?vlnk=1904&Pos=&ColRank=l&Rank=422

Immarsat

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the total value was of contracts his Department has held with Immarsat in each year since 2001.

John Healey: The Treasury's records show no contracts with Immarsat since the beginning of 2002-03. Earlier records could be retrieved and reviewed only at disproportionate cost.

International Clothing Designs/Capital One

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations  (a) he and  (b) his Department has received from (i) International Clothing Designs and (ii) Capital One Financial Services Group in the last 12 months.

John Healey: Representations are made to Treasury Ministers and officials on a wide range of issues by a variety of individuals and organisations in the public and private sectors as part of the process of policy development and analysis. As was the case with previous Administrations, it is not the Government's practice to provide details of all representations and submissions made to the Treasury.

Ministerial Meetings

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what meetings hosted by  (a) the Smith Institute and  (b) its subsidiary SI Events Ltd he has attended in the last 12 months.

John Healey: Treasury Ministers and officials have meetings with a wide range of organisations in the public and private sectors as part of the process of policy development and delivery. As was the case with previous Administrations, it is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such meetings.

Mosques

Paul Goodman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the number of mosques in the UK in  (a) 1997 and  (b) 2001; and what the most recent estimate is.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 18 October 2006:
	As Registrar General for England and Wales, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking what the estimate is of the number of mosques in the UK in (a) 1997 and (b) 2001; and what the most recent estimate is. (94360)
	The data are shown in the table:
	
		
			  Buildings recorded by the Registrar General as certified places of meeting for religious worship by those professing the Muslim religion, England and Wales, as at 30 June by calendar year 
			   Number 
			 1997 582 
			 2001 621 
			 2006 754 
			  Source: Certifications recorded by the Registrar General for England and Wales under section 2 of the Places of Worship Registration Act 1855. The information requested is not available for Scotland and Northern Ireland.

National Institute of Economic and Social Research

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer for what purposes the Inland Revenue has provided funding to the National Institute of Economic and Social Research in the last 24 months.

Edward Balls: During the last two years, HMRC has funded the National Institute for Economic and Social Research to develop a model to analyse various aspects of household savings behaviour. This work was funded out of HMRC's external research programme.

Opinion Polling

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer on what issues his Department has conducted opinion polling in the last 12 months; and what the cost of each poll was.

John Healey: I refer to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Rayleigh (Mr. Francois) on 25 July 2006,  Official Report, column 1347W.

Park Place, Croydon

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations his Department has received from Minerva on the building of Park Place in Croydon; and what role his Department has played in this development.

John Healey: I am advised that the Treasury has received no representations related to this development. The Treasury has no role in taking individual planning decisions.

Pensioner Deaths

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to his answer of 14 July 2006,  Official Report, column 2110W, on pensioner deaths, if he will ask the national statistician to make available data based on the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs definition of rurality.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Colin Mowl, dated 18 October 2006:
	The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your recent question asking, pursuant to the answer provided on 14th July 2006, Official Report column 2110W, on pensioner deaths, for the relevant data to be made available based on the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs definition of rurality. I am replying in her absence. (94461)
	The tables below provide the numbers of deaths of men aged 65 and over and women aged 60 and over where (a) hypothermia was mentioned on the death certificate, (b) malnutrition was the underlying cause of death, (c) 'effects of hunger' was mentioned on the death certificate, for 1997 to 2005 (the latest year available), broken down into (i) rural areas and (ii) non-rural areas based on the Rural and Urban Classification 2004.
	
		
			  Table 1: Number of deaths where hypothermia was mentioned on the death certificate( 1,) ( 2) , men aged 65 and over and women aged 60 and over, England and Wales, 1997 to 2005( 3) 
			   Rural areas( 4)  Non-rural areas( 4) 
			   Male  Female  Persons  Male  Female  Persons 
			 1997 25 41 66 96 160 256 
			 1998 23 33 56 75 141 216 
			 1999 25 50 75 72 117 189 
			 2000 11 24 35 77 134 211 
			 2001 22 26 48 63 97 160 
			 2002 15 19 34 43 73 116 
			 2003 9 12 21 26 79 105 
			 2004 8 17 25 46 72 118 
			 2005 6 11 17 30 59 89 
			 (1) Because hypothermia cannot be the underlying cause of death according to World Health Organisation definitions, these figures are for deaths where hypothermia was mentioned anywhere on the death certificate.  (2) Cause of death was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9) codes N99l.6 for the years 1997 to 2000, and the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) codes T68 from 2001 onwards.  (3 )Figures are for deaths registered in each calendar year.  (4) Rural areas are defined here as those Census Output Areas falling within the following categories of the Rural and Urban Classification 2004: Small town and fringe; Village; Hamlet and Isolated Dwelling. Non-rural areas are those in the category 'Urban settlement with a population of 10,000 or more'. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Number of deaths where malnutrition was the underlying cause of death( 1) , men aged 65 and over and women aged 60 and over, England and Wales, 1997 to 2005( 2) 
			   Rural areas( 3)  Non-rural areas( 3) 
			   Male  Female  Persons  Male  Female  Persons 
			 1997 3 6 9 10 26 36 
			 1998 4 9 13 10 21 31 
			 1999 4 6 10 9 17 26 
			 2000 1 2 3 13 16 29 
			 2001 2 4 6 16 27 43 
			 2002 5 2 7 20 27 47 
			 2003 3 3 6 14 31 45 
			 2004 6 6 12 9 25 34 
			 2005 2 4 6 19 23 42 
			 (1) Cause of death was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9) codes 260-263 for the years 1997 to 2000, and the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) codes E40-E46 from 2001 onwards. The introduction of ICD-10 in 2001 means that the numbers of deaths from this cause before 2001 are not completely comparable with later years.  (2) Figures are for deaths registered in each calendar year.  (3) Rural areas are defined here as those Census Output Areas falling within the following categories of the Rural and Urban Classification 2004: Small town and fringe; Village; Hamlet and Isolated Dwelling. Non-rural areas are those in the category 'Urban settlement with a population of 10,000 or more'. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 3: Number of deaths where 'effects of hunger' was mentioned on the death certificate( 1,) ( 2) , men aged 65 and over and women aged 60 and over, England and Wales, 1997 to 2005( 3) 
			   Rural areas( 4)  Non-rural areas( 4) 
			   Male  Female  Persons  Male  Female  Persons 
			 1997 0 0 0 1 5 6 
			 1998 0 0 0 2 0 2 
			 1999 0 0 0 0 1 1 
			 2000 0 1 1 0 3 3 
			 2001 0 1 1 0 0 0 
			 2002 1 1 2 1 0 1 
			 2003 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 2004 0 1 1 2 1 3 
			 2005 0 0 0 1 2 3 
			 (1) Because 'effects of hunger' cannot be the underlying cause of death according to World Health Organisation definitions, these figures are for deaths where 'effects of hunger' was mentioned anywhere on the death certificate, excluding deaths where the underlying cause was malnutrition to prevent double counting.  (2) Cause of death was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9) codes N994.2 for the years 1997 to 2000, and the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) codes T73.0 from 2001 onwards.  (3 )Figures are for deaths registered in each calendar year.  (4) Rural areas are defined here as those Census Output Areas falling within the following categories of the Rural and Urban Classification 2004: Small town and fringe; Village; Hamlet and Isolated Dwelling. Non-rural areas are those in the category 'Urban settlement with a population of 10,000 or more'.

Red Box Website

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many visitors are recorded as having visited HM Treasury's Red Box website since its launch; what the total cost to date of running this website has been; what guidance his Department has issued to schools on the use of this website; and how much was spent by his Department on publicity material for the website.

John Healey: The Red Box website is a teaching aid produced by HM Revenue & Customs which supports the 'hardcopy' Red Box teaching pack. Between April 2004 and September 2006 the site was viewed 7.74 million times. The site is not publicised individually as it is designed for use with the 'hardcopy' pack and not as a standalone resource. HM Revenue and Customs have spent £21,200 on publicising the Red Box 'hardcopy' teaching pack (and by association the website) since the site was launched.
	No website specific guidance has been issued to schools, as the 'teachers' area' contains guidance on how to use the site.
	The website was launched in December 2002. It is hosted and maintained by HM Treasury, alongside other Treasury sites, and it is not possible to separate out on-going costs.

Tractors

Chris Ruane: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much in real terms was raised from vehicle excise duty on tractors in each of the last 20 years.

John Healey: The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) administers the collection of vehicle excise duty. The collection totals for agricultural vehicles, which includes tractors, in each of the last 20 years in real terms is shown in the table. Providing disaggregated data on tractors would incur a disproportionate cost.
	
		
			   Number of licensed agricultural vehicles  Rate of vehicle excise duty (VED) (£)  In cash terms (£ million)  In real terms (at 2005-06 prices) (£ million) 
			 1986 371,000 16 5.94 11.65 
			 1987 374,000 16 5.98 11.27 
			 1988 383,000 16 6.13 11.00 
			 1989 384,000 16 6.14 10.24 
			 1990 375,000 16 6.00 9.13 
			 1991 346,000 30 10.38 14.92 
			 1992 324,000 30 9.72 13.47 
			 1993 318,000 35 11.13 15.18 
			 1994 309,000 35 10.82 14.41 
			 1995 274,000 35 9.59 12.35 
			 1996 254,000 35 8.89 11.18 
			 1997 249,000 40 9.96 12.14 
			 1998 243,000 40 9.72 11.45 
			 1999 241,000 40 9.64 11.19 
			 2000 233,000 40 9.32 10.51 
			 2001 233,000 (1)— — — 
			 2002 243,000 (1)— — — 
			 2003 258,000 (1)— — — 
			 2004 275,000 (1)— — — 
			 2005 283,000 (1)— — — 
			 (1 )Exempt from 1 April 2001.   Note: An exemption was introduced for tractors from 2001.

Valuation Office Agency

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar (Mr. Pickles) of 3 May 2006,  Official Report, column 1725W, on the Valuation Office Agency, whether the Agency has Data Strategy documents in addition to its Forward Plan and Annual Report and Accounts.

Dawn Primarolo: The Valuation Office Agency deals with a wide range of property advice and valuation work and in common with comparable organisations has a number of documents that deal with its strategy for handling the data required to support its activities.

WALES

Drug Addiction

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of treatment for drug addiction in Wales.

Nick Ainger: The Welsh Assembly Government are determined to tackle the problems of drug abuse and is investing significantly in drug treatment services.

Agriculture

Philip Dunne: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what recent discussions he has had with Ministers of the Welsh Assembly Government on agriculture in Wales.

Nick Ainger: My right hon. Friend and I have regular meetings, with both ministerial colleagues and colleagues in the Welsh Assembly Government, on a range of topics, including agriculture.

Employment Statistics

Betty Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what assessment he has made of the latest employment figures for  (a) Conwy constituency and  (b) Wales.

Peter Hain: More people in Wales are in employment than ever before.

Manufacturing

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what recent assessment he has made of trends in the Welsh manufacturing sector; and if he will make a statement.

Peter Hain: Despite the fact that manufacturing in Wales as elsewhere continues to face huge competitive threat from low cost countries, it accounts for some 20 per cent. of total Welsh economic output and we continue to attract high level investment.

Railways

Albert Owen: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what discussions he has had with the Welsh Assembly Government on the development of rail transport in Wales.

Nick Ainger: My right hon. Friend and I have regular meetings with Assembly colleagues on a variety of matters affecting Wales, including rail transport.

Ryder Cup

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what steps he is taking to ensure that the necessary infrastructure is in place for the Ryder Cup in Wales in 2010.

Nick Ainger: My right hon. Friend and I have regular discussions about issues affecting Wales, including infrastructure development, with colleagues in the Welsh Assembly Government and elsewhere.
	An infrastructure working group, led by the city of Newport, has been established and has been working up plans for the 2010 Ryder Cup.

Police

David Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for the Home Department and the Welsh Assembly Government on police funding in Wales.

Peter Hain: I have regular discussions with my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary and with the Welsh Assembly Government about matters concerning Wales.

Conwy Valley Railway Line

Elfyn Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he last met the First Secretary of the National Assembly of Wales to discuss the strengthening of the Conwy Valley railway line to enable it to carry heavy freight; and if he will make a statement.

Peter Hain: I meet the First Minister regularly to discuss issues affecting Wales, including rail infrastructure projects such as the proposal to upgrade the Conwy Valley railway line to carry heavy freight.

Disabled Staff

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much was paid to his Department from the Access to Work Scheme for adjustments for disabled staff in the last year for which figures are available; from what budget he plans to meet the costs of reasonable adjustments for disabled staff following withdrawal of Access to Work funding for central Government Departments; and if he will make a statement.

Peter Hain: The Wales Office forms part of the Department for Constitutional Affairs (DCA). It is not possible to confirm the precise contributions made to the Wales Office under the Access to Work Scheme over the last year without incurring disproportionate costs, as there is no central record held within the Wales Office or DCA.
	With effect from 1 October 2006, with the withdrawal of funding by Access to Work to employees of central Government Departments, the DCA intends to continue its responsibility for financing and supporting any required reasonable adjustments for its employees from the relevant operating budgets. All Wales Office staff will continue to benefit through similar arrangements.

Health Service

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he last met the Assembly Minister for Health to discuss the performance of the NHS in Wales.

Peter Hain: I regularly meet the First Minister when we discuss a range of issues, including the performance of the NHS in Wales. Performance of the NHS in Wales is improving as a result of Welsh Assembly Government policies.
	More than £5 billion is being spent on health in Wales this year, that's more than £1,600 per person, and over double the figure spent in 1996-97.
	There are over 450 more consultants and over 7,300 more qualified nurses in Wales than in 1997.
	Waiting lists are down as follows:
	At the end of August 2006 there was only one patient waiting over 12 months for in-patient or day case treatment
	Over the past two years in-patient/day case waits over 18 months have been cut more than 8,500 to none
	At the end of August 2006 79 per cent. of patients on the in-patient/day case waiting list had been waiting for less than six months
	Out-patient waits of 18 months have been cut by over 7,200 to four
	Out-patient waits over 12 months have been cut from more than 24,100 to 10
	At the end of August 2006 84 per cent. of the patients on the out-patients waiting list had been waiting for less than six months.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Assaults (NHS Staff/Police)

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the maximum sentence available is in Northern Ireland for assault on  (a) a police officer and  (b) a nurse; and if he will make a statement.

David Hanson: The maximum sentence available in Northern Ireland for the offence of assault on a police officer is two years. The maximum sentence available in Northern Ireland for assault on a nurse is one year.

Bus Lanes

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the introduction of bus lanes on Belfast's main arterial roads in reducing the number of cars on the roads; and if he will make a statement.

David Cairns: The chief executive of Roads Service (Dr. Malcolm McKibbin) has written to the hon. Lady in response to this question.
	 Letter from Dr. Malcolm McKibbin, dated 17 October 2006:
	You recently asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland a Parliamentary Question regarding what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the introduction of bus lanes on Belfast's main arterial roads in reducing the number of cars; and if he will make a statement.
	As this issue falls within my responsibility as Chief Executive of Roads Service, I have been asked to reply.
	I should explain that bus lanes are only one of a number of factors which influence the public's choice between travelling by bus or by private car. Other factors such as the price of fuel, car parking costs and availability, the convenience of public transport and the general level of disposable income, all influence commuters choice of travel mode. It is therefore impossible to directly attribute any change in car numbers solely to the availability of bus lanes on Belfast's main arterial routes.
	As bus lanes were part of a package of measures provided to improve bus journey times and reliability, perhaps a more useful measure of their effectiveness is the level of bus patronage over any particular period of time. Overall Citybus/Metro patronage has increased by 20.5% over the 2 year period between 2003/04 and 2005/06. In addition, since the introduction of Metro in February 2005, Translink have recorded a 14% increase in patronage.
	While I appreciate we cannot attribute all of this growth in patronage to the introduction of bus lanes, it is, nevertheless, an encouraging trend which we hope to improve upon.

Cancer Services

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many women from targeting social need areas in  (a) inner east Belfast and  (b) Strangford are not using the offer of screening for (i) breast and (ii) cervical cancers; and what plans there are to increase the numbers using these services.

Paul Goggins: This information requested is not available.
	The Department's Regional Cancer Framework document, which will be published shortly, recommends that commissioners and providers, working with local women and the voluntary sector, should target areas of low uptake for screening.
	The Eastern Health and Social Services Board has already put in place a number of initiatives to increase uptake rates for both breast and cervical screening. These include providing advice to voluntary and community groups, attendance at women's health fairs and provision of cervical screening for women with learning disabilities.

CCTV

Sammy Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many police-monitored CCTV cameras are in operation in  (a) Larne,  (b) Carrickfergus and  (c) Newtownabbey.

Paul Goggins: The number CCTV cameras monitored by police in the areas requested are as follows:
	
		
			   Number of police monitored cameras 
			 Larne DCU 1 
			 Carrickfergus DCU 0 
			 Newtownabbey DCU (1)0 static 
			 (1 )Newtownabbey DCU has recently taken possession of a mobile CCTV system mounted on a dedicated police landrover.

Departmental Information

Roger Gale: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much was spent on the Department's public relations and information services in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Peter Hain: The operating budget in each of the last five years for Northern Ireland Information Service, which is the Communications Directorate for the NIO is as follows:
	
		
			   £000 
			 2001-02 2,163 
			 2002-03 2,221 
			 2003-04 2,263 
			 2004-05 2,147 
			 2005-06 1,774 
		
	
	These figures include staff salaries and all salary-related costs as well as other expenditure incurred in pursuance of our overall objective of presenting and explaining Government policy in Northern Ireland by appropriately communicating the objectives of the NIO in a positive, timely, impartial and professional manner.

Emergency Services (Attacks)

Sammy Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many incidents of attacks on  (a) police officers,  (b) ambulance staff and  (c) fire brigade officers have been reported in Northern Ireland in the last 12 months.

Paul Goggins: Information provided by the relevant emergency services on the numbers of recorded attacks(1) on staff in Northern Ireland in the last 12 months (1 October 2005 to 30 September 2006) is as follows:
	(1)Attack is defined within the fire, ambulance and police services as damage or injury to property and equipment; or damage or injury to personnel. The fire and ambulance services also include crowd hostility in their figures, where no injury or damage has been sustained.
	
		
			  Emergency service  Number of attacks 
			 Police service of Northern Ireland 1,501 
			 Northern Ireland ambulance service 132 
			 Northern Ireland fire and rescue service 348

Fireworks

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many complaints the public have made to the Police Service of Northern Ireland about the illegal sale of fireworks to young children, broken down by district command units; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Goggins: The Chief Constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland has informed me that the information requested is not available in the form requested but has produced the following table showing the total number of incidents recorded by district command unit for the period 1 April to 11 October 2006.
	
		
			  Inappropriate sale/use/possession of fireworks—incidents recorded by district command unit 1 April-11 October 2006 
			  DCU  Number of incidents 
			 Antrim 27 
			 Ards 37 
			 East Belfast 24 
			 North Belfast 40 
			 South Belfast 21 
			 West Belfast 14 
			 Carrickfergus 3 
			 Castlereagh 23 
			 Larne 13 
			 Lisburn 53 
			 Newtownabbey 30 
			 North Down 48 
			 Urban 333 
			 Armagh 20 
			 Ballymena 35 
			 Ballymoney 8 
			 Banbridge 7 
			 Coleraine 53 
			 Cookstown 17 
			 Craigavon 20 
			 Down 33 
			 Dungannon and South Tyrone 53 
			 Fermanagh 69 
			 Foyle 29 
			 Limavady 31 
			 Magherafelt 9 
			 Moyle 8 
			 Newry and Mourne 42 
			 Omagh 21 
			 Strabane 18 
			 Rural 473 
			 Grand total 806 
			 (1) Please note that these figures are provisional and may be subject to change.   Source:  Central Statistics Unit, PSNI

Fireworks

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many licence holders there are in Northern Ireland for the sale of fireworks.

Paul Goggins: There are presently 233 premises registered by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland to keep and sell fireworks in Northern Ireland.

Gas Supplies

Albert Owen: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what percentage of households in Northern Ireland is without mains gas.

Maria Eagle: The question has been interpreted to mean the number of households who do not have access to mains gas, rather than the number not actually connected.
	In this case, 65 per cent. of households in Northern Ireland do not currently have access to mains gas.

Home Information/Condition Reports

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans he has to introduce  (a) home information packs,  (b) home condition reports and  (c) energy performance certificates in Northern Ireland.

David Hanson: The future direction as regards the introduction of home information packs, and their content, including home condition reports, will be determined as part of a major project to review current land law and conveyance legislation and practice in Northern Ireland which commenced earlier this year. Energy performance certificates will be introduced on a phased basis between January 2008 and January 2009.

Human Trafficking

Sammy Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many cases there have been of human trafficking to Northern Ireland in each of the last five years.

Paul Goggins: United Kingdom immigration service does not collate separate figures for Northern Ireland and so it is not possible to provide figures in response to this specific question.
	One individual was arrested by the Police Service of Northern Ireland in 2005 on suspicions of people trafficking but charges were subsequently withdrawn. There is no confirmed evidence of trafficking into Northern Ireland nor has anyone been convicted of people trafficking in Northern Ireland. However law enforcement agencies in Northern Ireland are aware of the potential problems and are maintaining appropriate procedures and checks to ensure that any attempt to engage in human trafficking can be detected and dealt with effectively.

Illegal Drug Sales

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland which drug was sold illegally in Northern Ireland in the greatest quantities in the most recent period for which figures are available.

Paul Goggins: I have been advised by the Police Service of Northern Ireland that it is not possible to say which drug has been sold illegally in the greatest quantities in Northern Ireland. However, the Police Service of Northern Ireland have confirmed that cannabis, and cannabis resin in particular, was the drug most commonly seized in September 2006, having been recovered in 32.7 per cent. of all drug seizures. I am also advised that cannabis herbal was seized in 21.2 per cent. of all cases.

Incendiary Bombings (Compensation Claims)

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what estimate he has made of the likely cost to the Compensation Agency of meeting claims in respect of recent incendiary bombings in Newry.

David Hanson: The Compensation Agency's loss adjusters, appointed to assess the potential costs following these attacks, have provided preliminary estimates totalling £7,000,000 for 11 of the 13 claims received to date. Estimates in the remaining two cases have yet to be received.

Northern Ireland Police Fund

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what correspondence there has been between his Department and  (a) the Chairman of the Northern Ireland Police Fund,  (b) the acting Chief Executive of the Northern Ireland Police Fund and  (c) members of the Board of Directors of the Northern Ireland Police Fund relating to the 2003 security breach at the Fund.

Paul Goggins: A full police investigation has been carried out in relation to alleged breaches of security. The Department has not entered into correspondence with  (a) the Chairman of the Northern Ireland Police Fund,  (b) the acting Chief Executive of the Northern Ireland Police Fund and  (c) members of the Board of Directors of the Northern Ireland Police Fund about the alleged security breaches at the Fund.

Northern Ireland Police Fund

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether copies of the minutes of the meetings of the Board of Directors of the Northern Ireland Police Fund are forwarded to his Department.

Paul Goggins: The Department receives copies of the minutes of the meetings of the Board of Directors of the Northern Ireland Police Fund.

Northern Ireland Police Fund

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what  (a) questions were submitted to his Department by the Northern Ireland Audit Office in relation to the Northern Ireland Police Fund and  (b) answers were provided by his Department in response to those questions.

Paul Goggins: The Department has been in correspondence with the Northern Ireland Audit Office on a range of matters relating to the Northern Ireland Police Fund.

Post Traumatic Stress (Police)

Sammy Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what training the Police Ombudsmen for Northern Ireland staff receive in relation to dealing with serving and retired officers claiming post traumatic stress disorder.

Paul Goggins: The Police Ombudsman's office has advised that while the office does not provide any specialised training in relation to medical conditions such as post traumatic stress disorder, procedures and guidance ensure investigators assess risks when investigations involve members of the public or police officers so that appropriate action can be considered.

Pregnant Foreign Nationals

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many pregnant foreign nationals have presented at hospitals in Northern Ireland without suitable medical records in each of the last three years; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Goggins: During admission to hospital, information is gathered relating to the patient's personal details, including their current address. Information on the patient's nationality is not normally collected. It is not possible, therefore, to provide the figures requested.
	Anyone who is deemed to be "ordinarily resident in the UK" is entitled to free HPSS treatment in Northern Ireland. "Ordinarily resident" is a common law concept interpreted by the House of Lords in 1982 as someone who is living lawfully in the United Kingdom voluntarily and for settled purposes as part of the regular order of their life for the time being, with an identifiable purpose for their residence here which has a sufficient degree of continuity to be properly described as settled.

Vandalism

Sammy Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many instances of vandalism were reported in each district command unit in the East Antrim constituency in each of the last five years.

Paul Goggins: The police service of Northern Ireland have advised me that the number of criminal/malicious damage offences recorded over the last five financial years in each District Command Unit in the East Antrim constituency is detailed in the following table. It should be noted that not all of Newtownabbey DCU falls within the constituency of East Antrim.
	
		
			   2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06 
			 Carrickfergus 646 557 423 509 450 
			 Larne 711 486 469 482 418 
			 Newtownabbey 1,775 1,628 1,464 1,368 1,430 
			 Total 3,132 2,671 2,356 2,359 2,298

Volunteer Medals

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make it his policy to award a medal to volunteer members of the  (a) St. John Ambulance Brigade,  (b) British Red Cross Society and  (c) Order of Malta Ambulance Corps who put their lives at risk during the troubles in Northern Ireland.

Peter Hain: Her Majesty the Queen is advised by the Committee on the grant of honours, decorations and medals on all matters to do with honours and medals.

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Council Tax

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the annual change in the level of council tax by each district council in South West England was in each year since 1996-97; and if she will make a statement.

Phil Woolas: The annual percentage change in the level of council tax by each district council in South West England since 1996-97 is tabled as follows. Figures are based solely on the district's element of the area council tax bill, including parish precepts, and exclude amounts for precepting authorities (such as county, police and fire).
	
		
			  Annual percentage change in the level of council tax by each district council in South West England since 1996-97( 1) 
			  Authority  1996-97  1997-98  1998-99  1999-2000  2000-01  2001-02 
			 Bath and North East Somerset District Council(2) — 4.6 8.0 3.7 9.3 5.9 
			 Bournemouth Borough Council(2) — — 15.2 4.5 2.9 10.0 
			 Bristol City Council(2) — 4.5 8.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 
			 Caradon District Council 10.4 11.1 10.2 6.3 8.6 5.2 
			 Carrick District Council 7.7 -1.2 9.4 7.7 8.4 4.6 
			 Cheltenham Borough Council 7.5 6.8 9.8 4.8 4.5 5.9 
			 Christchurch Borough Council 6.9 25.0 17.4 2.9 -0.5 0.0 
			 Cotswold District Council 24.2 9.5 7.6 4.3 6.1 8.1 
			 East Devon District Council 12.6 8.2 13.4 -0.4 3.8 4.8 
			 East Dorset District Council 6.7 5.9 13.2 5.4 0.3 9.3 
			 Exeter City Council -9.7 6.4 -2.5 17.7 3.9 4.5 
			 Forest of Dean District Council 22.1 3.3 5.8 3.2 7.9 3.7 
			 Gloucester City Council 29.7 27.9 16.0 8.5 2.5 7.0 
			 Isles of Scilly Council 5.9 4.1 7.5 10.4 6.1 3.8 
			 Kennet District Council 17.8 16.6 19.9 7.8 2.9 7.4 
			 Kerrier District Council 20.5 13.7 8.3 6.2 4.7 12.2 
			 Mendip District Council 24.4 0.3 8.8 5.3 4.2 4.5 
			 Mid Devon District Council 8.7 29.5 2.2 6.7 4.5 5.1 
			 North Cornwall District Council 10.1 16.4 8.6 5.1 8.9 2.5 
			 North Devon District Council -10.8 18.4 20.4 0.9 5.7 3.0 
			 North Dorset District Council 47.1 19.2 0.6 3.2 3.1 12.4 
			 North Somerset District Council(2) — 0.5 9.6 8.2 4.9 4.6 
			 North Wiltshire District Council 1.2 1.5 6.3 2.9 9.0 7.0 
			 Penwith District Council 3.2 3.1 5.6 7.4 3.8 5.3 
			 Plymouth City Council(2) — — — 8.6 8.8 3.1 
			 Poole Borough Council(2) — — 10.3 3.8 12.8 5.5 
			 Purbeck District Council 9.9 17.1 21.9 9.7 5.1 14.3 
			 Restormel Borough Council -3.8 1.2 26.4 7.0 4.8 2.3 
			 Salisbury District Council 82.3 14.7 13.9 0.0 3.1 3.3 
			 Sedgemoor District Council 4.0 6.0 1.8 4.5 4.0 2.8 
			 South Gloucestershire District Council(2) — 5.1 3.9 8.8 9.8 5.3 
			 South Hams District Council 15.8 8.5 8.9 2.7 2.4 3.4 
			 South Somerset District Council -3.2 2.8 8.5 4.0 5.7 4.2 
			 Stroud District Council 5.0 7.3 5.0 5.6 4.3 1.5 
			 Swindon Borough Council(2) — — 4.2 9.8 5.7 6.6 
			 Taunton Deane Borough Council 132.1 6.7 24.1 4.1 1.5 6.1 
			 Teignbridge District Council 23.0 11.3 6.4 4.5 4.5 5.6 
			 Tewkesbury Borough Council 78.4 119.1 51.6 49.2 6.4 5.1 
			 Torbay District Council(2) — — — 17.0 4.9 7.4 
			 Torridge District Council 74.0 77.8 11.7 6.3 3.6 4.3 
			 West Devon Borough Council 6.9 7.3 11.5 4.3 25.1 -12.4 
			 West Dorset District Council 10.7 10.8 6.6 7.4 6.2 6.9 
			 West Somerset District Council 5.6 -1.5 15.4 2.2 6.0 4.2 
			 West Wiltshire District Council -6.1 17.6 19.2 5.4 3.7 6.8 
			 Weymouth and Portland Borough Council -15.7 22.1 10.7 9.6 6.6 6.9 
		
	
	
		
			  Authority  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			 Bath and North East Somerset District Council(2) 6.9 5.9 0.6 4.8 4.9 
			 Bournemouth Borough Council(2) 14.9 14.8 1.9 4,5 3.4 
			 Bristol City Council(2) 6.0 7.2 0.5 4.9 4.9 
			 Caradon District Council 8.4 11.1 5.9 4.9 5.1 
			 Carrick District Council 7.4 2.1 8.8 4.8 4.8 
			 Cheltenham Borough Council 3.6 13.9 3.0 6.0 3.0 
			 Christchurch Borough Council 34.1 1.8 14.8 4.8 4.9 
			 Cotswold District Council 10.0 8.3 3.5 4.2 3.7 
			 East Devon District Council 7.1 6.2 5.8 6.6 3.3 
			 East Dorset District Council 18.2 4.1 11.0 4.9 4.9 
			 Exeter City Council 7.5 5.7 4.9 1.5 2.5 
			 Forest of Dean District Council 6.2 5.9 2.5 3.1 0.5 
			 Gloucester City Council 7.3 4.7 7.8 3.0 3.1 
			 Isles of Scilly Council 10.0 25.0 7.5 4.5 4.9 
			 Kennet District Council 9.5 11.8 4.7 5.0 5.8 
			 Kerrier District Council 5.5 4.9 7.2 4.3 3.3 
			 Mendip District Council 9.1 5.5 2.9 3.0 3.3 
			 Mid Devon District Council 10.2 11.0 2.1 4.3 3.8 
			 North Cornwall District Council 10.3 5.9 5.8 4.1 4.3 
			 North Devon District Council 9.8 8.2 4.8 3.7 4.7 
			 North Dorset District Council 9.9 10.5 9.4 6.9 5.6 
			 North Somerset District Council(2) 12.2 15.4 2.6 4.7 4.8 
			 North Wiltshire District Council 8.8 6.5 7.3 4.7 5.4 
			 Penwith District Council 4.3 6.5 2.9 2.5 2.7 
			 Plymouth City Council(2) 12.9 14.7 0.9 4.9 5.0 
			 Poole Borough Council(2) 11.9 13.9 0.7 4.5 3.5 
			 Purbeck District Council 8.9 20.0 4.9 5.0 4.6 
			 Restormel Borough Council 7.0 2.7 6.7 4.6 4.3 
			 Salisbury District Council 6.8 5.0 4.7 4.6 4.8 
			 Sedgemoor District Council 4.9 3.8 3.4 11.2 1.2 
			 South Gloucestershire District Council(2) 12.3 6.1 2.8 3.7 5.2 
			 South Hams District Council 6.0 9.4 4.4 5.7 5.0 
			 South Somerset District Council 3.8 8.6 7.1 3.4 4.2 
			 Stroud District Council 4.6 3.5 2.5 2.8 3.4 
			 Swindon Borough Council(2) 15.2 14.8 2.5 3.3 4.8 
			 Taunton Deane Borough Council 9.5 2.5 6.5 4.4 3.1 
			 Teignbridge District Council 9.2 9.1 2.5 1.2 2.5 
			 Tewkesbury Borough Council 13.6 1.4 2.2 5.1 4.3 
			 Torbay District Council(2) 10.9 9.7 4.3 3.5 4.8 
			 Torridge District Council 6.5 5.8 6.1 6.1 7.7 
			 West Devon Borough Council 12.2 4.5 9.4 5.3 4.5 
			 West Dorset District Council 9.3 13.5 7.0 5.6 3.4 
			 West Somerset District Council 3.1 3.3 1.3 3.7 2.7 
			 West Wiltshire District Council 10.3 4.5 5.9 4.7 11.0 
			 Weymouth and Portland Borough Council 9.6 53.0 6.9 3.9 4.0 
			 (1) Figures are based solely on the district's element of the bill, including parish precepts, and exclude precepting authorities (such as county, police and fire).  (2) Figures are not included for the years prior to when unitary authorities changed responsibility.

Digital Switchover

Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what plans she has to run pilots in advance of digital switchover which assess the implications for multiple dwelling units.

Yvette Cooper: This Department has no plans currently to run such pilots. However, we are working closely with DCMS, DTI and Digital UK to ensure that tenants are not disadvantaged by the digital switchover.

English Partnerships

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  to which Minister English Partnerships is accountable;
	(2)  to whom Milton Keynes Partnerships is accountable.

Yvette Cooper: Responsibility for English Partnerships (EP) falls within my Ministerial portfolio within the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG).
	Milton Keynes Partnership (MKP) was established as a committee of English Partnerships and therefore is formally accountable through the Department for Communities and Local Government to Parliament. However the committee was established with three members of Milton Keynes council, representatives of the local strategic partnership and private sector, and has a remit to hold regular public meetings in order to ensure local accountability and transparency. Milton Keynes council remains the plan making authority for the area.

Homelessness

George Galloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many homes owned by local authorities are being used as temporary accommodation for the homeless; what the average time was that such property was occupied before the family was offered permanent rehousing in the last period for which figures are available; what the average rent charged in such circumstances is; and whether the rents are related to  (a) average social quoted housing rents and  (b) private sector market rents.

Yvette Cooper: Information about local authorities' actions under homelessness legislation, which includes the number of households living in temporary accommodation, is summarised in the Department's quarterly Statistical Release on statutory homelessness.
	The latest Release, covering statistics to the end of June 2006, was published on 11 September. Copies are available in the Library, and from the DCLG website at: http://www.communities.gov.uk/index.asp?id=1002882&PressNoticeID:=2234
	The duty owed by local authorities to a person accepted as eligible for assistance, unintentionally homeless and in priority need is to secure suitable accommodation. If a settled home is not immediately available, the authority may secure temporary accommodation until a settled home becomes available. As an alternative to the provision of temporary accommodation, some authorities arrange for households to remain in their current accommodation (homeless at home), until a settled solution becomes available.
	Table 6 in the Statistical Release shows the number of households in temporary accommodation arranged by local authorities, as at the end of June 2006 (the latest date for which information is available).
	Table 9 shows the number of households that, during the quarter, left temporary accommodation provided by the authority (or who were no longer registered as "homeless at home"), split by the length of stay in seven broad time bands ranging from 'under six months' to 'five years or more'. These households will either have been provided with some form of settled accommodation, or have left the accommodation voluntarily, ceased to be eligible or become intentionally homeless.
	Figures on average rent charged by local authorities or private landlords to households in temporary accommodation are not held centrally.

Housing

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what financial incentives she plans to offer Milton Keynes Council to deliver her Department's housing targets under the Sustainable Communities Plan.

Yvette Cooper: The Government are currently consulting on a Housing and Planning and Delivery Grant as a potential incentive for local authorities to help deliver additional housing to respond to the housing needs of their communities.
	Milton Keynes continues to benefit from access to Growth Area and Community Infrastructure Funding. Projects being supported under these funds include £24 million for the central station; £7 million for expansion at the general hospital; and £3 million for public transport improvements, all of which will support the sustainable growth of Milton Keynes.

Housing

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many affordable homes were built with a contribution from section 106 planning gain in each local authority in London in 2005-06.

Yvette Cooper: Information for 2005-06 is being finalised and will be made available on the Department for Communities and Local Government website shortly. For the number of affordable homes built in each of the four previous years I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given to the hon. Member for Sutton and Cheam (Mr. Burstow) on 31 October 2005,  Official Report, columns 759-60W.

Housing

Nick Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what guidelines have been issued by her Department to local authorities on the proportion of social housing in regeneration schemes.

Yvette Cooper: The Government do not normally advise local authorities on the proportion of affordable housing to be included in individual developments. However LA's are advised to do needs assessments for different kinds of housing and to set appropriate proposals for social housing in their local development frameworks. Guidance for local authorities on other issues with affordable housing targets and thresholds in local plans will be provided later this year in the Planning Policy Statement for Housing.

Local Government Ombudsman

Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the factors are which the Local Government Ombudsman should take into account in considering whether to conduct an investigation into a complaint that has not been made within the 12 month period specified in section 26(4) of the Local Government Act 1974.

Phil Woolas: It is entirely a matter for the Local Government Ombudsman to decide whether he considers it is reasonable to conduct an investigation in respect of a particular complaint not made within the 12 month period referred to in section 26 of the Local Government Act 1974. Accordingly, I have passed the question to the ombudsman, and invited him to reply direct. A copy of the ombudsman's reply will be placed in the Library of the House.

Local Government Pensions

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether employees of  (a) regional chambers and  (b) regional development agencies are eligible to join the Local Government Pension Scheme.

Phil Woolas: Employees of these bodies who are covered either by an admission agreement made with a Local Government Pension Scheme Administering Authority, or by a statutory resolution of the London Development Agency, would be eligible to join the Local Government Pension Scheme. It is a matter for the employer and administering authority concerned to decide whether an admission agreement is appropriate, and to whom it should apply.

Local Government Pensions

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps she is taking to reform the governance of the Local Government Pension Scheme following the recent letter from the Audit Commission recommending changes.

Phil Woolas: The Department has established a working group, including representatives from the Audit Commission, to take forward these recommendations to augment the existing best practice standards of auditing and financial reporting of Local Government Pension Scheme fund authorities. All parties agreed on 11 September that these aims could be achieved by amending the LGPS regulations to require fund authorities to publish an annual report, in line with best practice audit guidance on form and content. This change will allow local auditors to apply new arrangements recommended by the Audit Commission and introduce greater transparency in the reporting of LGPS pension fund accounts. A statutory consultation exercise will take place shortly.
	In addition, an informal consultation exercise with a range of interested parties on future governance arrangements in the LGPS has recently concluded. A copy of the consultation paper can be found at:
	http://www.xoq83.dial.pipex.com/governancearrangements.htm.
	The next steps will be announced shortly.

Newcastle Regeneration

Nick Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what proportion of social housing is in the new build of the Walker, Newcastle regeneration programme.

Yvette Cooper: Information on this specific regeneration programme is not held centrally.

Planning (Community Involvement)

Paul Truswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many statements of community involvement the Planning Inspectorate has rejected because they had procedural or other flaws; which planning authorities submitted each one; and if she will make a statement.

Yvette Cooper: holding answer 11 September 2006
	A total of 307 Statements of Community Involvement (SCIs) have been submitted to the Secretary of State for examination. Of the 214 SCIs which have commenced the examination stage, inspectors have issued 208 binding reports and a total of 121 SCIs have been adopted.
	Only one SCI that has been examined has been found to be unsound and has been recommended to be withdrawn by the Planning Inspectorate. This is the Bristol SCI.

Valuation Office Agency

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether Valuation Office Agency officers are awarded  (a) non-pecuniary and  (b) pecuniary benefits for (i) finding rateable values which had not previously been identified and (ii) dealing with appeals successfully.

Dawn Primarolo: I have been asked to reply.
	I refer the hon. Member to the replies I gave on 31 January 2006,  Official Report, column 414W, and 3 May 2006,  Official Report, column 1725W, and by my hon. Friend the Financial Secretary to the Treasury on 23 March 2006,  Official Report, column 506W.

Women and Work

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which Government resources are committed to the Women and Work Action Plan; who the exemplar companies associated within it are; and if she will make a statement.

Meg Munn: Six staff in the Women and Equality Unit are working to advance the implementation of the Women and Work Commission recommendations across Government and will produce a report on progress in spring 2007. The exemplar employers are employers from both the public and private sectors, representing large and small employers from a range of sectors, who have initiatives which address the causes of the gender pay gap. The initiatives cover a range of issues including working in schools to inform girls about careers in their sector, equal pay reviews, women's networks, support for women returners, and career pathways for part-time workers. A full list of employers and details of the good practice initiatives is currently being compiled and will be published in due course.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Allowance Assessments

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much was spent on the assessment process for  (a) disability living allowance,  (b) attendance allowance,  (c) carer's allowance and  (d) incapacity benefit in each of the last five years.

Anne McGuire: The Department accounts for its administrative expenditure by strategic objective as set out in its public service agreements (PSA) and by individual requests for resources (RfRs) as set out in the Departmental Estimates and Accounts, and not by benefit. Information on administrative expenditure by strategic objective is available in the annually published Departmental Report, copies of which are available in the Library.

Benefits

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what inquiries are made of the Public Guardianship Office to establish if any other person holds a registered power of attorney when an application for an appointeeship is made by a social service Department for the authority to receive pensions and other benefits due to pensioners and others.

James Plaskitt: No inquiries are made.
	If there is a registered attorney to whom benefit is being paid at the time of the application by social services, the Department will be aware. In such a case the application from social services would be discussed with the person holding the registered power.
	If benefit is being paid to the customer at the time the application to act as the appointee is made by social services, we will not make any inquiries of the Public Guardianship Office. We follow the normal appointment process. If it later transpires that there is a registered attorney, with power over the customer's financial affairs, and they object to a social services Department being the appointee we would review the appointment.

Benefits

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what procedures are followed before an appointeeship is granted to a social service Department to receive pensions and other benefits due to pensioners and others.

James Plaskitt: If the social services Department is already acting as appointee for other customers and so understands its role and responsibilities, the only issue is to confirm that the benefit recipient is incapable of managing their own affairs. This will be done by visiting the customer unless wholly conclusive medical evidence has been provided. In either case an authorised representative of the social services Department must also complete the appropriate documentation—this confirms the role and responsibilities of the appointee in relation to the individual customer.
	If the social services Department is new to the role of an appointee, the Department will visit the social services Department to discuss this, and visit the customer to confirm that they are unable to act for themselves. Again, the appropriate documentation will be completed.

Benefits

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what arrangements his Department has in place to provide hospital in-patients with access to application forms for incapacity benefit.

Anne McGuire: Claims for incapacity benefit are normally made by telephone through Jobcentre Plus contact centres. If a customer contacts the Department while in hospital and is unable to provide relevant information on that day, arrangements can be made for a scheduled call-back to be undertaken when the customer leaves hospital to a nominated phone number, either landline or mobile.
	Clerical claim forms can be requested by telephone or in writing, either in person or by a representative, for completion by the person claiming benefit.
	If necessary, visits can be made where a claim cannot be made using normal methods, for example, where we need to confirm that someone is unable to manage their affairs while in hospital and a representative wishes to make a claim on their behalf.

Carers

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions in how many cases where people have been found dead and where an inquest has been held somebody has  (a) been in receipt of a carer's allowance and  (b) been having the attendance allowance paid to them for care since the individual's death.

Anne McGuire: The administration of attendance allowance and carer's allowance is a matter for the Chief Executive of the Disability and Carers Service, Mr. Terry Moran. He will write to the hon. Member.
	 Letter from Terry Moran, dated 18 October 2006:
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, in how many cases where people have been found dead and where an inquest has been held somebody has  (a) been in receipt of a carer's allowance and  (b) been having the attendance allowance paid to them for care since the individual's death.
	The Minister for Disabled People, Anne McGuire MP, promised you a reply from the Chief Executive of the Disability and Carers Service.
	The requested information is not available.
	I am sorry I cannot be of more help.

Carers

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimates he has made of the number of people who are entitled to carer's allowance but are not claiming the benefit.

Anne McGuire: Entitlement to carer's allowance depends on whether the qualifying conditions are satisfied, and this can be reliably established only after a claim has been made. There are no data available from which a reliable estimate might be made of the number of carers who would meet the conditions if they claimed.

Departmental Expenditure

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much his Department has spent on organising and hosting conferences in the last 12 months.

Anne McGuire: The information requested is not available centrally in the format requested and could be collected only at disproportionate cost.

Disability Living Allowance

John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the most common reason is for disqualification from disability living allowance.

Anne McGuire: The administration of disability living allowance is a matter for the chief executive of the Disability and Carers Service, Mr. Terry Moran. He will write to my hon. Friend with the information requested.
	 Letter from Terry Moran, dated 18 October 2006:
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the most common reason is for disqualification from disability living allowance.
	The Minister for Disabled People, Anne McGuire MP, promised you a substantive reply from the Chief Executive of the Disability and Carers Service.
	The most common reason for disqualification from disability living allowance is because the entitlement conditions relating to the need for personal care and/ or difficulties with walking are not satisfied.
	I hope this is helpful.

Health and Safety Executive

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make it his policy to instruct the Health and Safety Executive to provide clear standards for workers facing extreme temperatures; and if he will make a statement.

Anne McGuire: The Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 require employers to provide a reasonable temperature in all indoor workplaces. The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 also require employers to undertake a risk assessment which includes assessing the risks of working in very hot or cold workplaces. Where risks are identified, proportionate action must be taken by the employer to meet the legal requirements.
	The Health and Safety Executive's (HSE) website provides a step-by-step approach to help employers and employees manage excessive temperatures in the workplace, including guidance on how to avoid heat stress (http://www.hse.gov.uk/temperature).

HOME DEPARTMENT

Access to Work Scheme

Roger Berry: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many disabled staff in his Department received support through the Access to Work scheme  (a) in each of the last five years and  (b) in 2006-07.

Liam Byrne: The Home Office does not centrally collect the numbers of disabled staff receiving adaptations and equipment paid for by Access to Work. These figures could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Accession Country Migrants

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Lithuanians have settled in the United Kingdom since Lithuania's accession to the European Union.

Liam Byrne: Statistics on Lithuanian nationals issued residence documentation showing settled status from 1 May 2004 to December 2005 are given in the table.
	2005 data by nationality were published in Table 4.3 of the Command Paper "Control of Immigration: Statistics United Kingdom 2005" available from the Library of the House and from the Home Office website:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html.
	This table also gives statistics on residence documentation issued showing Limited Period Status.
	EU nationals are not obliged to seek documentation in order to reside lawfully in the United Kingdom. The figures relate to those who have done so.
	Management information on the number of Lithuanians registered on the Workers Registration Scheme are published in the Accession Monitoring Report available at:
	http://www.ind.homeoffice.gov.uk/aboutus/reports/accession_monitoring_report
	
		
			  Issue of residence documentation to Lithuanian nationals showing settled status( 1) , 1 May 2004 to December 2005( 2) 
			  United Kingdom  Number issued 
			 1 May to 31 December 2004 10 
			 January to December 2005(2) 100 
			 (1 )Residence documents and residence permits issued for an indefinite period (2 )Provisional data rounded to the nearest 5

Accession Monitoring Report

Phyllis Starkey: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how the regional data in the accession monitoring report has been collected; and whether the data can be disaggregated to show how many accession state citizens are employed in individual towns and cities.

Liam Byrne: Applicants to the Worker Registration Scheme are required to supply their address and the address of their employer. The regional breakdown in the monitoring report is based on the postcodes of employers. This data can be disaggregated against individual postcodes.

Agency Staff

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what average hourly rate was paid by his Department to each employment agency for staff employed through agencies in 2005-06.

Liam Byrne: Contract information in respect of the core Home Office excluding the immigration and nationality department (IND) is not held centrally, and to provide the average hourly rate paid to each employment agency would incur disproportionate cost. The average hourly rates paid by the Home Department for IND and its Executive agencies to each employment agency for staff employed through agencies in 2005-06 are in the following table.
	The hourly rates paid to agencies are averages covering a range of grades, including professional specialists, and different employment locations. The Department and its Executive agencies contract agencies under frameworks to provide temporary staff that have been security cleared.
	
		
			  Hourly rates paid to employment agencies 
			  Employment agency  £ 
			  IND  
			 Huntress 10.12 
			 Headstart 9.94 
			 Tate 9.20 
			 Brook Street 9.89 
			 Employment Plus 9.79 
			 Reed 9.91 
			 Crown Personnel 9.93 
			 Berry Recruitment 9.09 
			 PRC 9.13 
			 Office Angels 9.85 
			 Hays 8.99 
			 First Recruitment 9.57 
			 Demon 9.11 
			 Catherine Johnstone 9.57 
			 Blue Arrow 9.50 
			 Ashley Morgan 9.40 
			 Middleton Murray 8.98 
			 Southern Recruitment 9.11 
			 New Appointments Group 14.18 
			 Adecco 8.55 
			 Select 12.20 
			   
			  Criminal Records Bureau  
			 Computer Futures 56.00 
			 Drive On 50.00 
			 Excel Recruitment 16.84 
			 Hays Accountancy 17.18 
			 ITP Recruitment 63.00 
			 Montpellier 52.70 
			 Reed Personnel Services 18.38 
			   
			  IPS  
			 Adecco 18.75 
			 Ajilon 43.10 
			 Brook Street 13.17 
			 Capita 69.61 
			 Crystal 38.00 
			 Elan 67.74 
			 Glotel 25.41 
			 Kelly Services 22.74 
			 NESCO 68.08 
			 NRG 122.22 
			 PA Consulting 159.03 
			 Parity 77.74 
			 Pendragon 73.27 
			 Real Time Consultants 58.06 
			 Rullion 38.80 
			 Search 75.89 
			 SGS 59.30 
			 Spring 51.23 
			 Step Forward 22.70 
			   
			  HMPS  
			 Adecco 10.39 
			 Brook Street 10.15 
			 Hays Specialist Recruitment 9.58 
			 Manpower 10.85 
			 Reed Employment 13.38

Antisocial Behaviour

Si�n James: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the role of Community Safety Partnerships in  (a) dealing with and preventing anti-social behaviour and  (b) the issuing of antisocial behaviour orders.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 12 October 2006
	Community safety partnerships (CSPs) in Wales and crime and disorder reduction partnerships (CDRPs) in England, lie at the heart of the Government's approach to the reduction of both crime and antisocial behaviour.
	All CSPs and CDRPs are required to carry out an audit every three years which includes an assessment of antisocial behaviour in the local area as well as taking into account crime and disorder. This informs the strategy which sets outs actions addressing priority areas and targets. However there are proposals arising from provisions in the Police and Justice Bill that will repeal the requirement for the audit and strategy and replace them with a six-monthly strategic assessment. The findings of this assessment will in turn will feed into an annual rolling three-year plan. All CSPs and CDRPs have an antisocial behaviour co-ordinator in post to ensure that those strategies genuinely reflect the needs of the community served by partnerships.
	CSPs and CDRPs do not issue ASBOs. The decision to grant an ASBO rests with the courts.

Antisocial Behaviour

Si�n James: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what steps his Department is undertaking to prevent antisocial behaviour during the Hallowe'en and Guy Fawkes night period;
	(2)  how many complaints about antisocial behaviour were made to the South Wales Police during the Hallowe'en and Guy Fawkes night period in 2005;
	(3)  what intervention protocols are used by Community Safety Partnerships when dealing with people accused of antisocial behaviour;
	(4)  what assistance his Department provides to Neighbourhood Watch schemes to tackle antisocial behaviour;
	(5)  how many antisocial behaviour orders have been issued under the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 in  (a) the South Wales Police and  (b) Swansea area.

Tony McNulty: Neighbourhood Watch and other Watch schemes have an important role to play in empowering local people to help reduce crime, tackle antisocial behaviour (ASB) and reduce the fear of crime in communities throughout the country.
	Although the Home Office does not provide funding to Neighbourhood Watch or other Watch schemes, support is provided in other ways, for example through the provision of free literature, public liability insurance, training and advice. Home Office officials also offer advice to Neighbourhood Watch schemes who request information on ASB issues.
	Neighbourhood Watch schemes are advised to work closely with their local police forces and Community Safety Partnerships (CSPs) and Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships (CDRPs) who can provide advice and support on local issues such as ASB.
	It is for local agencies to decide on the most appropriate intervention to tackle ASB swiftly and effectively based on their knowledge of what works best locally. We do encourage agencies like CSPs to adopt a tiered approach with a blend of measures to provide a proportionate response. Tools such as warning letters, Acceptable Behaviour Contracts and injunctions should generally be used before reaching for an antisocial behaviour order (ASBO). It also requires a twin track approach based on the principles of both enforcement and support. The key aims of any intervention are to:
	enable the individual to recognise the consequences of their behaviour;
	ensure that they change their behaviour; and
	protect victims, witnesses and the community.
	Section 115 of the Crime and Disorder Act (CDA) 1998 also provides partnerships with the ability to share information with partner agencies. Tackling crime, ASB and misuse of drugs depends upon robust information exchange between all the agencies involved in a CSP. Provisions in the Police and Justice Bill currently before parliament will amend Section 115 of the CDA 1998 so that the current power to share will become a duty to share.
	When fireworks are misused or a person acts in an antisocial manner during Halloween or Guy Fawkes, like any time of the year we are determined that their behaviour is challenged and we have provided the tools and powers to ensure this happens. As well as the standard ASB tools and powers the Fireworks Regulation 2004, made under the Fireworks Act 2003 induced a comprehensive package of measures to restrict the supply, use and possession of fireworks.
	In preparation for this year's period during September the Respect Task Force published guidance for police, local authorities and other practitioners setting out the current range of tools and powers to tackle firework misuse. This was accompanied by a series of workshops during the Respect Academies also held in September and early October.
	It is not possible to show the number of ASB complaints made to South Wales Police during the Hallowe'en and Guy Fawkes Night period in 2005 because the data is not collected centrally.
	A table giving the number of ASBOs issued at all courts, by criminal justice system (cjs) area, as reported to the Home Office by the Court Service, up to 30 September 2005 (latest available), can be found on the Crime Reduction website at www.crimereduction.gov.uk. The South Wales cjs area is coterminous with the South Wales police force area. The table is further broken down into local government authority areas in which prohibitions are imposed within orders.

Asylum and Immigration (Treatment of Claimants etc) Act

Neil Gerrard: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has completed his evaluation of the operation of Section 9 of the Asylum and Immigration (Treatment of Claimants etc) Act 2004; and when he expects to publish the results of the evaluation.

Liam Byrne: The evaluation of the section nine pilot is still ongoing. It is expected the outcome will be published before the end of the year.

Asylum Seekers

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many failed asylum seekers were required to report to  (a) police stations and  (b) Home Office reporting centres on 30 April.

Liam Byrne: IND has a network of 11 reporting centres throughout the United Kingdom where asylum seekers and other persons granted temporary admission are required to report on a regular basis. In areas without dedicated reporting facilities asylum seekers may be required to report to police stations.
	On the 30 April 2006 264 failed asylum seekers were required to report to reporting centres and 87 to police stations.

Asylum Seekers

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many foreign women joining spouses in the UK have sought indefinite leave to remain on the grounds of domestic violence in each of the last three years; and if he will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: The number of applications for indefinite leave to remain on the basis of domestic violence from foreign women in the last three years is as follows:
	
		
			   Number 
			 2003 327 
			 2004 649 
			 2005 851 
			 Between January 1 and 30 June 2006 438 
		
	
	This information has not been quality assured and is not a national statistic. It should be treated as provisional management information and may be subject to change.

Asylum Seekers

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidelines granting leave to remain to those seeking asylum in the UK he has issued which should be taken account of in decisions taken of the length of time taken to process an application.

Liam Byrne: The Asylum Policy Instruction 'Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights' states that delay in determining an application will be taken into account when removal is considered. Delay will be set alongside other factors, such as family ties, and will rarely determine the outcome in itself. Other provisions take into account the overall length of a person's stay in the UK.

Asylum Seekers

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many substantive asylum applications were decided within two months in each of the last five years.

Liam Byrne: Please see the following table which shows information on the timeliness of initial decisions, published by financial year to correspond with the public service agreement target.
	Information on the timeliness of asylum cases is published in the quarterly asylum statistics on the Home Office Research Development and Statistics Directorate website at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html.
	
		
			  Percentage of new substantive asylum applications having an initial decision reached and served within two months( 1, 2, 3) 
			   Target( 4)  Actual 
			 2001-02 60 61 
			 2002-03 65 75 
			 2003-04 75 81 
			 2004-05 75 80 
			 2005-06 75 76 
			 (1 )Excludes withdrawals and 3rd country cases, which may be the responsibility of other EU member states under the Dublin Convention. (2 )Two months is defined as 61 days. (3 )Excludes asylum applications lodged by Iraqis between 1 February and 31 May 2003. (4 )Details of government targets relating to the proportion of decisions served within two months are provided in the 2000 Spending Review Public Service Agreements White Paper available from: http://www.treasury.gov.uk/.

Asylum Seekers

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much was paid in support for unaccompanied young asylum seekers after their 18th birthday by each local authority in each financial year from 2000-01 to 2005-06; and what the expected cost is for 2006-07.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 18 September 2006
	The information requested is not available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. Funding is provided to local authorities in respect of some former Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children (UASC) who continue to be supported after their 18th birthday but it cannot be readily identified from other funding the Home Office provides to local authorities for different categories of asylum seekers.

Asylum Seekers

Edward Vaizey: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps his Department is taking to speed up removal of unaccompanied asylum-seeking young people who have been refused asylum.

Liam Byrne: We are developing a returns programme in a number of countries for unaccompanied children who have been refused asylum. This is to ensure that young people with no basis of stay in the United Kingdom can be returned to their countries of origin in a safe way. We will not return any young person unless we are confident that safe, adequate reception arrangements are in place and that their return is not in breach of our international obligations.

Chief Accounting Officer

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the  (a) name,  (b) professional and academic qualifications and  (c) relevant experience is of the Chief Accounting Officer of his Department.

Liam Byrne: The Home Office Principal Accounting Officer is David Normington, the Permanent Secretary. His biography is as follows.
	The accounting officer role carried out by the Permanent Secretary combines his personal responsibility for the overall organisation, management and staffing of the Department with department-wide procedures in financial and other matters. The accounting officer is assisted in the discharge of these duties by suitably qualified and experienced senior managers such as the Director-General, Finance.
	 David Normington biography
	David Normington's early career was spent in the Department of Employment, responsible variously for the previous Government's programme of trade union reform, for measures to reduce unemployment and for youth training. He was Principal Private Secretary to Tom King, Secretary of State for Employment in 1983 and 1984. In the late 1980's he managed the Employment Service's London and south east region with 500 Jobcentres and unemployment benefit offices.
	In 1992 he became the Department of Employment's Director of Personnel and Development, a post that led him to becoming DfEE's Corporate Services Director when the Department of Employment and Department of Education merged in 1995. In this post David played a central role in the creation of the new Department. From there he moved on to become DfEE's Director General for Strategy and Analytical Services and for the international division in the run-up to the UK presidency of the European Union. He was Director General for Schools, responsible between 1998 and 2001 for delivering the Government's national targets for raising standards in education.
	He became Permanent Secretary at the Department for Education and Skills in May 2001.
	He received a KCB in the new year's honours list. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Personnel and Development.
	David is a graduate of Corpus Christi College, Oxford, where he studied history. He went to Bradford grammar school and lived in Bradford until he went to university.

Colchester Garrison

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has discussed with the Ministry of Defence the possible use of premises at the Colchester Garrison for accommodating civilian prisoners.

Gerry Sutcliffe: holding answer 12 October 2006
	The National Offender Management Service has considered a number of alternatives before proposing Connaught Barracks at Dover to be an open prison. The facilities at Colchester are in operational use by the Ministry of Defence, and no decision on Connaught has yet been taken.

Community Policing Strategy (London)

Mark Hunter: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will expand London's Community Policing Strategy to include other parts of the country; and if he will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: London's Safer Neighbourhoods Programme is the Metropolitan Police Service's version of the national Neighbourhood Policing Programme, which will ensure that every community in England and Wales has a neighbourhood policing team by April 2008.
	It would not be appropriate to replicate the London model nationwide, as neighbourhood policing must be tailored to the needs and circumstances of local communities in each area.

Correspondence

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the Immigration and Nationality Directorate will reply to the correspondence from the hon. Member for Hornsey and Wood Green of 26 June 2006, regarding a constituent, Mr Ousseynou Wade, (Home Office reference W1060359).

Liam Byrne: The Director General of the Immigration and Nationality Directorate wrote to the hon. Member on 13 October.

Crime

Mark Hunter: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many reported incidents of  (a) domestic burglary and  (b) car theft there were in England and Wales in each of the last five years.

Tony McNulty: The British Crime Survey (BCS) provides information about the numbers of domestic burglaries and vehicle-related thefts in England and Wales. The BCS can provide a better reflection of the true extent of crime because it includes crimes that are not reported to or recorded by the police. The BCS count of crime includes crimes against adults (aged 16 or over) living in private households. The numbers of domestic burglaries and vehicle-thefts for the last five years, based on the BCS, are displayed in table 1.
	Based on the BCS the numbers of domestic burglaries have decreased by 24 per cent. between 2001-02 and 2005-06 BCS. According to the latest BCS (2005-06) there were 733,000 domestic burglaries in England and Wales, compared with 969,000 domestic burglaries based on the 2001-02 BCS. The numbers of vehicle thefts have also decreased. The numbers of vehicle thefts have fallen by 31 per cent. from 2,494,000 (2001-02 BCS) to 1,731,000 (2005-06 BCS).
	The BCS also provides information about the proportions of crimes that are reported to the police. Approximately half of vehicle thefts and just over six out of 10 domestic burglaries are reported to the police.
	Police recorded burglaries in dwellings have decreased from 430,347 in 2001-02 to 300,555 in 2005-06. The numbers of vehicle thefts recorded by the police have fallen from 983,276 to 721,469 over the same period. Police recorded burglaries in dwellings and vehicle-thefts are included in table 2.
	This information was published by the Home Office in the Crime in England and Wales 2005-06 publication. This information is available in the Library, and via Home Office website http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/crimeew0506.html.
	
		
			  Table 1: Numbers of domestic burglaries and vehicle-related thefts in England and Wales, BCS 2001-02 to 2005-06 
			  Thousand 
			   Domestic burglary  Vehicle thefts 
			 2001-02 969 2,494 
			 2002-03 973 2,365 
			 2003-04 943 2,121 
			 2004-05 756 1,886 
			 2005-06 733 1,731 
			  Note:  Vehicle thefts include thefts from vehicle, thefts of vehicle and attempted thefts of and from. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Recorded domestic burglaries and vehicle thefts, 2001-02 to 2005-06 
			  Thousand 
			   Burglaries in dwellings  Theft of and from vehicles 
			 2001-02 430,347 983,276 
			 2002-03 437,583 982,186 
			 2003-04 402,345 895,114 
			 2004-05 321,461 743,412 
			 2005-06 300,555 721,469 
			  Notes:  1. Burglary in a dwelling includes aggravated burglary in dwelling.  2. The data in this table take account of the introduction of the National Crime Recording Standard in April 2002. These figures are not directly comparable with those for earlier years.

Criminal Justice

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his oral statement of 20 July 2006,  Official Report, column 472, on criminal justice, what estimate he has made of the total cost of building 8,000 more prison places; when the first of these will be operational; and when the full 8,000 will be operational.

John Reid: Estimated capital costs for the 8,000 place expansion programme are around 1.5 billion. Estimated annual running costs are expected to be around 0.35 billion once the programme is completed. The delivery of these places will take place over six years

Criminal Justice

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his oral statement of 20 July 2006,  Official Report, column 472, on criminal justice, what estimate he has made of the total number of prison places which will be available in each of the next five years.

John Reid: We have a current building programme that when completed will provide 80,400 places in 2007. I announced a new 8,000 place building programme, delivery of which will be spread over six years.

Custody Plus

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what costs were incurred following the decision to defer the implementation of custody plus.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Preparatory work for custody plus in the Prison and Probation Services was not accounted for separately from funding provided for the implementation of other sentencing provisions in the Criminal Justice Act 2003.

Departmental Expenditure

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much was spent by his Department on food and alcohol for its staff working out of office in each year since 2001-02.

Liam Byrne: The answer could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	The expenditure on food and alcohol is made in accordance with published departmental guidance on financial procedures and propriety, based on principles set out in Government Accounting.

Departmental IT

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much was spent on information technology (IT) sourced from outside his Department in each of the last five years; who is responsible for such projects in his Department; and what IT  (a) expertise and  (b) qualifications they possess.

Liam Byrne: The information on how much was spent on information technology (IT) is not held centrally and could not be obtained without incurring disproportionate cost.
	Responsibility for IT projects lies with the IT teams in each area of the Department. The heads of IT are recruited with regard to appropriate skills and experience, the majority of these were recruited via open competition.

Departmental Staff

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many non-pensionable bonuses were awarded to members of his staff in each of the last three years; and at what total cost.

Liam Byrne: The following table summarises non pensionable special bonus payments made to staff in the core Department, immigration and nationality directorate, Prison Service and National Offender Management Services. The information does cover other Home Office agencies or non-departmental public bodies.
	
		
			   Number paid  Total value () 
			 2003-04 5,740 3,060,008.66 
			 2004-05 10,366 8,000,911.84 
			 2005-06 9,163 7,167,285.70 
			 Total 25,269 18,228,206.20 
			  Notes:  1. The Department's long standing special bonus scheme allows for prompt and tangible recognition for outstanding achievement in particularly demanding tasks or situations. This can be by staff for individual work, or members of a group of staff for outstanding teamwork. Special bonuses can therefore cover a wide range of behaviours or activities. 2. Special bonuses are paid for out of normal pay running costs and all directorates are expected to target a maximum of 0.3 per cent. per annum of their pay running costs for this purpose.

Departmental Staff

Peter Viggers: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many civil servants were employed in his Department before the Gershon report; what net reductions are proposed in the Gershon report; how many reductions have been made; and how many civil servants are expected to be employed in his Department in the Gershon target month of April 2008.

Liam Byrne: Staffing levels before the Gershon report (July 2004) are set out in the 2004 detail in the table laid before the House in a written answer to the question N27446, 20 December 2005, column 2888W.
	The Gershon report proposed a reduction in Home Office staff of 2,700. The Home Office, as part of Spending Review 2004, undertook to make this reduction from headquarters staff.
	As reported in the Home Office Autumn Performance Report 2005, column 6707, the reduction in headquarters staff covered by the HQ Reduction exercise during 2004-05 was 917 FTE posts. Projections for 1 April 2008 will be published in the forthcoming Home Office Annual Report 2006. Projections for 1 April 2008 will be published in the forthcoming Home Office Annual Report 2006.

Departmental Staff

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of  (a) staff and  (b) new staff employed since April 2005 in (i) his Department and (ii) each of the agencies for which he has responsibility is recorded as disabled.

Liam Byrne: In respect of the numbers of staff recorded as disabled  (a), the latest information is available via the Cabinet Office website at this link:
	http://www.civilservice.gov.uk/management/statistics/publications/xls/report_2005/table_p.xls.
	The following information on new staff  (b) is taken from the personnel systems of the Home Department and its agencies as shown in the following table.
	The collection of disability data is intended to enable the Home Office to monitor the effectiveness of its HR policies and processes and the provision of such data is entirely voluntary. It is probable therefore that the data for some disabled staff are not centrally recorded and for this reason these figures must be regarded as indicative rather than definitive. While we encourage staff to provide this information so that we can ensure robust monitoring, it is not Home Office policy to make its supply mandatory.
	
		
			  Area  Proportion of new staff since 1 April 2005 recorded as disabled (percentage) 
			 Home Office (including National Offender Management Headquarters) 0.83 
			 Immigration and nationality directorate 1.33 
			 Identity and Passport Service (IPS) 0.37 
			 HM Prison Service 1.2 
			 Criminal Records Bureau 4.5

Deportation

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to his oral statement of 3 May 2006,  Official Report, columns 969-73, on deportation and removals, what plans he has to consult on proposals to achieve a more coherent approach to taking criminality into account in decisions on who is allowed into the UK, who is allowed to stay, who is granted settlement and who can acquire British citizenship; and what the timetable is for such consultation.

Liam Byrne: The IND review paper Fair, effective, transparent and trusted: Rebuilding confidence in our immigration system, which we published on 25 July 2006 explained that we will introduce an early Bill to take new powers, including to ensure that foreign national prisoners automatically face deportation. Work on wider criminality issues will take account of the work on foreign national prisoners and be taken forward within the context of IND's new strategic objectives of strengthening our border, and ensuring enforcement and compliance with our immigration laws, removing the most harmful people first. The work on simplifying the legal framework for immigration, on which proposals for consultation will be ready by April 2007, will also be relevant to a coherent approach to criminality.

Dispersal Orders

Kenneth Clarke: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many dispersal orders were issued in Nottinghamshire in each of the last three years.

Tony McNulty: Section 30 of the Anti-social Behaviour Act 2003 provides the police with powers to disperse groups and remove under 16s to their place of residence, within authorised areas. These powers came into force on 20 January 2004.
	Information on the use of the powers has not been routinely collected. However, from a Home Office data collection exercise, we estimate that 809 areas were designated between January 2004 and June 2005. From April 2006, the data is being collected by police force area.

Dispersal Orders

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many dispersal orders were issued in  (a) Humberside and  (b) the East Riding of Yorkshire in each of the last three years.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 17 October
	Section 30 of the Anti-social Behaviour Act 2003 provides the police with powers to disperse groups and remove under 16s to their place of residence, within authorised areas. These powers came into force on 20 January 2004.
	Information on the use of the powers has not been routinely collected. However, from a Home Office data collection exercise, we estimate that 809 areas were designated in England and Wales between January 2004 and June 2005. From April 2006, the data are being collected by police force area.

Dispersal Orders

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many dispersal orders were issued in each (a) police authority area and  (b) local authority area in each of the last five years.

Tony McNulty: Section 30 of the Anti-social Behaviour Act 2003 provides the police with powers to disperse groups and remove under 16s to their place of residence, within authorised areas. These powers came into force on 20 January 2004.
	Information on the use of the powers has not been routinely collected. However, from a Home Office data collection exercise, we estimate that 809 areas were designated in England and Wales between January 2004 and June 2005. From April 2006, the data are being collected by police force area.

Embarkation Controls

Douglas Carswell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what significant changes have been made to embarkation controls for passengers travelling overseas since 1994; on what date each such change was made; and for what reason in each case.

Liam Byrne: On 15 December 1993, the then Home Office Minister Charles Wardle, announced that on 1 February 1994 embarkation controls would be withdrawn for passengers travelling to destinations within the European Community from ferry ports, small and medium sized airports.
	The reconfiguration of the residual embarkation control at other ports was announced by the then Home Office Minister, my hon. and learned Friend the Member for North Warwickshire (Mr. O'Brien) on 16 March 1998. The Immigration Service retained an ability to operate embarkation controls on an intelligence led basis, but blanket manual system based embarkation was ineffective.
	Following the events of 7 July and 21 July targeted embarkation controls were established at Heathrow, Gatwick, London Waterloo and some other international ports in support of Special Branch.
	Targeted intelligence led embarkation controls continue to take place at major ports to identify failed asylum seekers and other immigration offenders who are leaving the UK.
	Scheduled to commence in 2008, the e-Borders programme will strengthen and modernise our border control including providing an electronic record of all those entering and leaving the UK.

English Language

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the number of people in the UK who  (a) speak English as a second language and  (b) do not speak English.

Phil Hope: I have been asked to reply.
	The Skills for Life Survey reported that 7-8 per cent. of adults of working age in England (2.2 million- 2.5 million people) spoke a first language which was not English. There are no exact figures for the numbers of people who do not speak English at all, but it is estimated that around half of those who spoke another language would benefit from help with their English skills.

European Community Associations Agreement (Immigration Agreements)

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average time taken was from the date of receipt to the date of decision for European Community Associations Agreement immigration applications during the period 1 November 2005 to 30 April 2006; and what the target time was for decisions on such applications.

Liam Byrne: Following the suspension of decision making on European Community Association Agreement (ECAA) applications from the end of March 2004 until 9 May 2005, the average time taken was 433 days. The target time was to process 25 per cent. of these applications in 20 working days and 30 per cent. in 70 working days.
	This information should be treated as provisional management information and may be subject to change.

Ex-prisoners (Accommodation)

Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many  (a) mid-term and  (b) long-term prisoners have been released from prison without having specified accommodation to move into in each of the past three years; and if he will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: In April 2003 the Prison Service introduced a shadow Key Performance Indicator (KPI) on accommodation to improve the number of offenders leaving prison with accommodation. Since the introduction of the shadow KPI which became a full KPI in April 2005, the percentage of prisoners released with accommodation has risen from 54 per cent. in 2003-04 to 87 per cent. in 2005-06.
	Information on the numbers of prisoners being released from custody without accommodation to go to from each establishment in England and Wales since 2003 is given in tables to be placed in the House Libraries. The data is available only for all sentenced prisoner discharges. To provide the data according to sentence length would be at disproportionate cost.

Firearms

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how the disposal of firearms surrendered under court orders is monitored by his Department;
	(2)  how his Department monitors the disposal of handguns handed in following such guns being banned;
	(3)  how many firearms were handed in to North Wales police following the banning of handguns.

Tony McNulty: It is for individual police forces to arrange for the disposal of handguns whether as the result of a court order or following surrender in accordance with the provisions of the Firearms (Amendment) Acts 1997. I understand that a total of 1,817 firearms were handed in to the North Wales police following the handgun ban.

Foreign Criminals

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the entitlement to compensation for victims of crimes committed by those foreign nationals released but not assessed for deportation.

Liam Byrne: Victims of violent crime are of course entitled to apply for compensation under the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme in the normal way.

Foreign Criminals

Humfrey Malins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of  (a) convicted prisoners and  (b) those held on remand in prison pending trial are non-British nationals.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Information on the numbers of  (a) convicted prisoners and  (b) untried prisoners held pending trial can be found in the Offender Management Caseload Quarterly Brief, October to December 2005, Table 2.11 a, at: http://www.home office.gov.uk/rds/pdfs06/omcsq405.pdf.
	These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems. Although care is taken when processing and analysing the returns, the detail collected is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large scale recording system, and although shown to the last individual the figure may not be accurate to that level.

Fraud

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were convicted of fraud in  (a) Brent and  (b) London in each year since 1997.

Vernon Coaker: Data from the court proceedings database held by the Office for Criminal Justice Reform for the number of people convicted of fraud in  (a) Brent and  (b) London in each year since 1997 can be found in the following table.
	Data for 2005 will be available in November.
	
		
			  Number of defendants convicted at all courts, for offences relating to fraud in London, 1997 to 2004( 1,2) 
			  Offence class  1997  1998  1999  2000 
			 Frauds by company directors, etc.(3) 5 12 0 6 
			 False accounting(4) 345 428 412 316 
			 Other fraud(5) 2,282 2,452 2,417 2,506 
			 Total 2,632 2,892 2,829 2,828 
		
	
	
		
			  Offence class  2001  2002  2003  2004 
			 Frauds by company directors, etc.(3) 5 3 5 3 
			 False accounting(4) 179 186 186 209 
			 Other fraud(5) 2,386 2,577 2,532 2,459 
			 Total 2,570 2,766 2,723 2,671 
			 (1) These data are provided on the principal offence basis. (2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (3) Includes the following: False statements by company directors, etc., Other fraud by a company director, and giving false information for Confidentiality Order, or providing confidential information in breach of the regulations under S.723C. (4) Includes the following: False accounting, failing to keep proper accounting records, authorising failure to keep proper accounting of records, permitting failure to keep proper accounts, failing to keep proper accounts, failing to secure preservation of accounting records, and, failing to keep accounting records open to inspection. (5) Includes the following: Obtaining property by deception, Obtaining pecuniary advantage by deception, Conspiracy to defraud. Purporting to act as a spiritualistic medium for reward, Taking marks from HM property in any store, Fraudulent issue of money order by Post Office servant. Fraudulently retaining, secreting, etc. postal packet or mail bag, Fraudulently printing, mutilating or re-issuing stamp. Frauds by farmers in connection with agricultural charge, Cheating at play, etc. Dishonestly destroying, defacing or concealing a document. Dishonestly procuring execution of a document. Railway frauds, Frauds in connection with sale of land, etc.(triable only on indictment). Frauds in connection with sale of land, etc. (triable-either-way). Obtaining services by deception (except railway frauds). Evasion of liability by deception (except railway frauds). Making off without payment. Assisting another to retain the benefit of criminal conduct. Acquisition, possession or use of proceeds of criminal conduct. Concealing or transferring proceeds of criminal conduct. Disclosure of information likely to prejudice an investigation. Insider dealing. Obtaining a money transfer by deception. Dishonestly retaining a wrongful credit. Dishonest representation for obtaining benefit etc. Unauthorised access with intent to commit or facilitate commission of further offences. Unauthorised modification of computer material. Knowingly concerned in fraudulent evasion of contributions. Cartel offences. Corrupt transactions with agents. Other fraud.  Source: RDS Office for Criminal Justice Reform

Greater Manchester Police

Mark Hunter: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is taking to improve Greater Manchester police's ability to tackle gun crime.

Tony McNulty: As part of the Violent Crime Reduction Bill, the Government are tightening legislation on firearms to give police additional powers to tackle gun crime, including a ban on the sale, manufacture and importation of realistic imitation firearms and introducing a new offence of using someone to mind a weapon.
	In April 2006, the Home Office and ACPO established the National Ballistics Intelligence Programme and we are the first country to procure the technologically advanced 3D version of the Integrated Ballistics Identification System (IBIS) which will be located in the Metropolitan police, Greater Manchester police, and West Midlands police areas. Greater Manchester police are being supported to introduce a dedicated firearms forensic facility to service investigative needs in the north of England. These facilities will ensure that officers have access to every service they require in their efforts to combat gun crime.
	The National Ballistics Intelligence Programme also includes the development of a computer system which will share and coordinate all the information generated in gun crime enquiries. This will ensure that criminals and guns are tracked and pursued as they move around the country.
	To underpin this work we are also supporting a multi-agency Joint Intelligence Cell, a National Independent Advisory Group relating to the criminal use of firearms, and we continue to support the ACPO Criminal Use of Firearms Secretariat which performs an important national co-ordination function relating to strategy and delivery plans.

Hampton Review

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what input  (a) his Department and  (b) its (i) agencies and (ii) non-departmental public bodies had into the Hampton review and its report 'Reducing Administrative Burdens: Effective Inspection and Enforcement'.

Tony McNulty: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer given by the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Question number 89473.

Hunting

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what advice he is offering to police forces on how to monitor the activities of hunts; and what measures have been put in place to ensure the protection of hunt monitors.

Tony McNulty: The enforcement of the Hunting Act and the protection of hunt monitors is a matter for chief officers and the Association of Chief Officers (ACPO) have issued guidance for police forces on the practical aspects of enforcing this legislation.

Illegal Immigrants

Stephen Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the number of people arriving illegally in the UK through ports and airports in Wales in each year since 2000.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 11 July 2006
	This information is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Illegal Immigrants

Peter Lilley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action the Immigration and Nationality Directorate is taking to trace the 17 suspected illegal immigrants seen leaving a lorry in Wheathampstead on 14 July.

Liam Byrne: The Immigration Service (IS) is committed to responding to requests by the police to attend clandestine events, such as lorry drops, whenever and wherever operationally possible. In this instance on 30 June Hertfordshire police advised the Immigration Services that three people had been identified after the police responded to a report that approximately 15 individuals had been seen leaving a vehicle in Wheathampstead.
	They were arrested and taken to Hemel Hempstead police station. Since they were unaccompanied children they were subsequently released into the care of social services.

Immigration and Nationality Directorate

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the current backlog of  (a) immigration and  (b) asylum cases is at the immigration and nationality directorate.

Liam Byrne: On immigration cases, the data available for in-time in-country applications for leave to remain and for travel documents as at 31 March this year are shown in table 1 as follows.
	The number of outstanding applications for each of the work permit schemes as at 31 March this year is shown in table 2 as follows.
	Information on the number of asylum cases awaiting an initial decision is published quarterly on the Home Office website at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.htm.
	
		
			  Table 1 
			  General Group  31 March 2006( 1) 
			 Charged(1) 20,700 
			 Non-charged(1) 31,250 
			 Travel documents(1) 1,900 
			 Totals 53,850 
			 (1 )Provisional figures obtained from electronic local management records, subject to revision. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2 
			  Work Permits (UK) Area  31 March 2006( 1) 
			 WP (UK) core business and sector based scheme 2,620 
			 WP (UK) further leave to remain (IED) 2,810 
			 WP (UK) highly skilled migrant programme 2,290 
			 WP (UK) workers registration scheme 3,865 
			 WP (UK) seasonal agricultural workers scheme 0 
			 WP (UK) business casework unit 75 
			 Work permits (UK) total 11, 660 
			 (1 )Provisional figures obtained from electronic local management records, subject to revision.

Immigration and Nationality Directorate

Frank Dobson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the backlog of immigration and asylum cases was in March of each year since 1996-97.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 5 June 2006
	I am advised that information is not fully available in the format requested for in-country immigration applications and work permit applications. The data available as at 31 March 2006 for in-time in-country applications for leave to remain and for travel documents are shown in table 1 as follows:
	The number of outstanding applications for each of the work permit schemes is shown in table 2 as follows:
	Information on the number of asylum cases awaiting an initial decision is published quarterly on the Home Office Website at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.htm
	
		
			  Table 1 
			  General Group  31 March 2005( 1)  31 March 2006( 1) 
			 Charged(1) 20,000 20,700 
			 Non-charged(1) 38,600 31,250 
			 Travel Docs(1) 1,500 1,900 
			 Totals 60,100 53,850 
			 (1) Provisional figures obtained from electronic local management records, subject to revision. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2 
			  Work Permits (UK) Area  31 March 2005( 1)  31 March 2006( 1) 
			   No records are available pre-2005 
			 WP (UK) Core Business and Sector Based Scheme 4,299 2,620 
			 WP (UK) Further Leave to Remain (IED) 14,548 2,810 
			 WP (UK) Highly Skilled Migrant Programme 8,515 2,290 
			 WP (UK) Workers Registration Scheme 3,618 3,865 
			 WP (UK) Seasonal Agricultural Workers Scheme 0 0 
			 WP (UK) Business Casework Unit 149 75 
			 Work Permits (UK) Total 31,129 11,660 
			 (1) Provisional figures obtained from electronic local management records, subject to revision.

Immigration and Nationality Directorate

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department to 
	(1)  what extent the assessment of an immigration or nationality case continues while the case file is stored at the Immigration and Nationality Directorate's work-in-progress hold in Croydon;
	(2)  how many case files are stored at the Immigration and Nationality Directorate's work-in-progress hold; and for what average length of time a file is stored there;
	(3)  what circumstances an immigration or nationality case file is moved to the Immigration and Nationality Directorate's work-in-progress hold in Croydon.

Liam Byrne: My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary set out in his statement of 19 July the caseload of IND, including files held at the work-in-progress hold at Beddington Cross. Information on the average length of time a case file is stored there is not available.
	A file is moved to the work-in-progress hold when no executive action can, for the time being, be taken. The file can also be retrieved from the work-in-progress hold in Beddington Cross, Croydon, when it is needed.

Immigration and Nationality Directorate

Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the Immigration and Nationality Directorate expects to find the file of the hon. Member's constituent, ref: K434559; and what redress is available to those whose files have been lost.

Liam Byrne: The Home Office file relating to my hon. Friend's constituent has been located.
	In the unfortunate event of a Home Office file being lost, the applicant concerned will be invited to resubmit their immigration application. Claims for compensation to replace original documents are considered on an individual basis.

Intellectual Property Theft

Jonathan Djanogly: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the Governments plans to review the sentencing guidelines for intellectual property theft.

Gerry Sutcliffe: We have identified intellectual property theft as a crime that requires guidelines and we have asked the sentencing guidelines council, the body responsible for producing guidelines, to look at the issues once it has dealt with more pressing priorities.

IT Projects

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which information technology projects are being undertaken by his Department and its agencies; what the  (a) start date,  (b) the original planned completion date,  (c) the current expected completion date,  (d) the planned cost and  (e) the current estimated cost is of each; and if he will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: Information relating to information technology projects in the Home Office is only collected centrally under certain circumstances. Even in those circumstances a central record is not kept of all of the project detail requested by this PQ.
	It has been decided that the time and effort required to collect this information would trigger the 650 threshold for claiming disproportionate cost.
	The following table outlines those details that are centrally held in relation to major IT projects.
	The entries in grey indicate a breakdown of components of a larger project and relate to the project listed immediately above them.
	
		
			  Policy/ programme  Project name  /ID  Project description, scope and the key elements  /sublevels  Contract duration/  envisaged contract duration (years)  Original expected cost  ( million)  Current estimate total cost  ( million)  Expected project start date/project start date (mm/yyyy)  Planned completion date (mm/yyyy)  Current expected completion (mm/yyyy) 
			 NOMS NOMIS Noms (National Offender Management System) for the Prison service 5  560.00
			 ID Cards ID Cards  12  1,841.00
			 Immigration and Nationality Directorate Five Year Strategy CID Support and maintenance of existing casework system, and adaptation to developing business requirements 5  70.00
			  
			 Immigration and Nationality Directorate Five Year Strategy CIDTR Redesign of existing casework system to facilitate support and maintenance, and adaptation to developing business requirements 3  36.00
			 e-Borders e-Borders procurement Strategic aim of the programme is to create an integrated, secure border for the 21st Century. This will involve the procurement and implementation of solution to capture and analyse passenger information in advance of arrival into / departure from the UK and alert the appropriate Border Control Agencies of high risk passengers. Also replaces the current Wl system used to support clearance into the UK and watch listing of visa applications. A fuller description can be provided if necessary. 10  972.00
			  
			 Immigration and Nationality Directorate Five Year Strategy IBIP Key enabler for introduction of biometric-based identification documents   64.00
			  
			 Immigration and Nationality Directorate Five Year Strategy Biometric Residence Permits Introduction of new format EU residence permits   28.00
			 Immigration and Nationality Directorate Five Year Strategy ePassports Provision of readers for new format passports   9.00
			  
			 Immigration and Nationality Directorate Five Year Strategy Identity Management Major expansion of capacity of existing fingerprint recognition system   11.00
			  
			 Immigration and Nationality Directorate Five Year Strategy Warnings Index Portfolio Warnings Index Tech Refresh, Warnings Index Support Procurement 4  30.00
			  
			 Immigration and Nationality Directorate Five Year Strategy WISP Warnings Index Support Procurement 4  10.00
			  
			 Immigration and Nationality Directorate Five Year Strategy WITR Warnings Index Tech Refresh, 4  20.00
			  
			 Home Office IMPACT Programme Cross Regional Information Sharing Project(CRISP) CRISP provides on-line access search/read access to six sets of police business area operational data (crime, intelligence, domestic violence, custody, firearms, firearms) and possibly access to Holmes and command and control. Software design by consortia of forces, adopted by IMPACT as a potential national solution, delivery partner to be procured to support and develop application and provide hosting. 4  25.20 Started Started  
			 Home Office IMPACT Programme, but contract set up by delivery partner PITO IMPACT Nominal Index (INI) Project less than 10 million p.a. spend; included given that overall programme exceeds 10 million. Provides visibility of existence of nominal records on own and other forces' operational systems. Started with child abuse investigation units; to be extended to other functions. 2.5  7.70 01/12/2005 December 2005  
			 PITO NSPIS Case and Custody Police custody and case management systems   364.00
			 IND Mycroft42.00
			 IND Points-Based system45.00
			 Corporate Services Adelphi HR system   59.00
			 Corporate Services EDRM Records management   119.00
			 OCJR CJS Exchange Tri-laterally funded under OCJR. Exchange hub for data sharing across the CJS   218.00

Juvenile Prisoners

Boris Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  if he will make a statement on the performance of Prisoner Escort and Custody Services in delivering juvenile prisoners within the contracted time;
	(2)  how many juvenile prisoners were delivered after 7pm to HM Young Offender Institution (HMYOI) Huntercombe in  (a) 2004,  (b) 2005 and  (c) the first seven months of 2006; and what proportion of the total number of juvenile prisoners delivered to HMYOI Huntercombe this represented in each case.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The statistics requested are only available from 29 August 2004 when the current escort contracts became operational.
	In the table, the figures for 2004 exclude information on the number of juvenile prisoners arriving from courts in London and the south-east, as this information is unavailable. In 2005 an additional 963 prisoners were delivered from courts in London and the south-east, however the number arriving after 7pm is not known.
	A number of factors contribute to prisoners arriving after 7pm at Huntercombe. These include late court sittings, delays in placement orders from the Youth Justice Board, courts listing juvenile cases late in the day and prison population pressures, all of which have a significant impact on the number of prisoners being redirected to establishments further away from their usual catchment area.
	The Prison Escort and Custody Services continue to discuss improvements to performance with its Criminal Justice System partners. Courts are being encouraged to list juvenile cases earlier in the day so that juveniles can be escorted from court.
	
		
			  Period  Total number of Juvenile prisoners arriving at HMYOI Huntercombe  Proportion arriving after 7pm  Percentage 
			 29 August to 31 December 2004 91 44 48 
			 1 January to 31 December 2005 276 114 41 
			 1 January to 31 July 2006 851 292 34

Knife Crimes

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what his targets are for the reduction of knife crimes in the next three years.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 10 October 2006
	The Government have no separate target for crimes involving knives but do have a target to reduce all crime (involving violent) by 15 per cent. in the three year period from 2005, and more in the high crime areas.

Leave to Remain

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people are awaiting decisions on applications for leave to remain under the provisions of the European Community Association Agreement.

Liam Byrne: As at 1 July 2006, 3,733 people were awaiting a decision on their European Community Association Agreement (ECAA) applications.
	This information has not been quality assured, and is not a national statistic. It should be treated as provisional management information and may be subject to change.

Managed Migration

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 18 July 2006,  Official Report, column 404W, on foreign students, when he expects to introduce a register of sponsors for academic institutions as part of Tier 4 of the points-based system for managed migration.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 13 September 2006
	We intend to set out our plans for the introduction of the sponsor register later this year.

Official Residences

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the official residences for which his Department is responsible; who occupies each one; what the annual cost is of running each property; what contribution the occupants of each make towards running costs; what the total capital and refurbishment expenditure was on those properties in 2004-05; how much was spent in each property on  (a) flowers and plants,  (b) wine and entertaining,  (c) food,  (d) telephone bills and  (e) electricity and gas in 2004-05; how many (i) domestic and (ii) maintenance staff are employed at each property, broken down by post; and what the total cost of staff employment was in 2004-05.

Liam Byrne: The cost of running the official residence for Ministers for which the Department is responsible in 2004-2005 was 7,372.00 excluding security provision, site rent and capital charge for the leasehold interest. The occupier was until 10 March 2006 the former Secretary of State for Work and Pensions. Tax is paid on the ancillary services (lighting, heating etc) a sum limited to 10 per cent. of his taxable ministerial salary and benefits (if any). For the period when he was not a Minister, 1 January 2005 to 31 March 2005 the occupier paid 1,446.00 towards these costs. There was no capital or refurbishment expenditure. The occupier was responsible for meeting all expenditure on  (a) flowers and plants,  (b) wine and entertaining,  (c) food,  (d) personal telephone bills. There are no domestic or maintenance staff employed by the Department. Information on costs of official phone calls can only be found at disproportionate cost.

Outsourcing

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what services in his Department have been outsourced since 1997.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 5 July 2006
	The Home Department has outsourced the following types of services since 1997:
	delivery and maintenance of technical infrastructure;
	facilities and estates management,
	management of prisons,
	prisoner escort services,
	electronic monitoring,
	videolink services,
	technical and construction services,
	IT services,
	management of prisons shops and staff messes,
	catering service,
	works and stores,
	prisons energy services,
	cleaning services;
	security guarding;
	payment processing;
	cash payment facility;
	reception and car park bookings
	file storage
	HQ fire policy officer.

Passports

Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many passports belonging to foreign nationals with pending leave to remain or asylum applications are being held by his Department.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 18 September 2006
	This information is not centrally recorded and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Passports

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many pensioners have taken up their entitlement to free passports.

Joan Ryan: Up to 30 September 2006, 376,668 people born on or before 2 September 1929 had taken up their entitlement to free passports.

Passports

John Grogan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many UK citizens aged  (a) 18 and  (b) 19 years hold a UK passport.

Joan Ryan: At the beginning of 2006, there were approximately:
	 (a) 610,000 valid passports issued to UK citizens aged 18 years; and
	 (b) 600,000 valid passports issued to UK citizens aged 19 years.

Police

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the answer of 17 May 2006,  Official Report, column 60W, on police, what the latest estimated cost is of  (a) setting up the agency and  (b) the annual running costs in each year for which projections are available.

Tony McNulty: In 2006-07 the establishment of the National Policing Improvement Agency will require 5 million to cover the cost of the Programme Team, plus an additional provision of 11 million to cover the cost of a shadow agency and other transitional costs such as redundancies.
	The detailed funding requirement for future years has not yet been finalised.

Police

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when his Department expects to meet the three per cent. increase recommended for police force pay.

Tony McNulty: The police pay settlement for 2006 is currently being considered by the Police Arbitration Tribunal.
	I therefore do not think it would be appropriate for me to comment on this matter while it is subject to this process

Police

Mark Hunter: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many  (a) community support officers and  (b) frontline police officers there were in Stockport in each of the last three years.

Tony McNulty: Stockport is a basic command unit (BCU) within the Greater Manchester police force.
	Data for police community support officer strength at the BCU level are not collected as part of national statistics; however they have been collected by the police human resources unit for 30 June 2005 and this figure is included. Data for police community support officer strength at the force level are available as part of national statistics and therefore data for Greater Manchester police are also given in the tables.
	Data for police officer strength at the BCU level are given in the tables.
	
		
			  Police community support officer strength within Greater Manchester police force (FTE)( 1)  on 31 March 2004 to 2006 
			  As at 31 March each year:  Greater Manchester police force 
			 2004 173 
			 2005 269 
			 2006 251 
			 (1 )Full-time equivalent. This figure includes those on career breaks or maternity/paternity leave. 
		
	
	
		
			  Police community support officer strength within Stockport BCU (FTE)( 1 ) 30 June 2005( 2) 
			  As at 30 June each year:  Stockport BCU( 3) 
			 2005 Not available 
			 2006 Not available 
			 (1) Full-time equivalent. This figure includes those on career breaks or maternity/paternity leave.  (2 )Data not available prior to 2005 and has not yet been validated for 2006.  (3 )Data collated and published by police human resources unit. This data was provided by the force and does not form part of national statistics. 
		
	
	
		
			  Police officer strength within Stockport basic command unit (FTE)( 1)  on 31 March 2004 to 2006 
			  As at 31 March each year:  Stockport BCU 
			 2004 498 
			 2005 493 
			 2006 488 
			 (1) Full-time equivalent. This figure includes those officers on career breaks or maternity/paternity leave.

Police

Nick Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the impact of the police funding formula on  (a) combined rural and urban forces and  (b) the allocation of resources between rural and urban areas.

Tony McNulty: The police funding formula provides an assessment of the relative need of each police authority in England and Wales. This assessment takes into account the degree of population sparsity which is considered to affect the cost of providing police services. A composite formula is applied to all police authorities regardless of how rural or urban they are.

Police

Nick Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the effect of crime reduction on the police funding formula in each of the last 10 years.

Tony McNulty: The police funding formula provides an assessment of the relative need of each police force in England and Wales. This assessment is based on the social characteristics of each police authority which are considered to affect the level of demand for police services in the community. To avoid penalising police authorities which successfully reduce crime, actual crime data are not used in determining relative need.

Pre-sentencing Reports

John Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 9 October 2006 to question ref. 90116, on pre-sentencing reports, whether National Standards for writing Pre-Sentencing Reports are complied within each probation area.

Gerry Sutcliffe: National standards for the Probation Service are published in the document National Standards 2005. Copies are available in the Library of the House and at the following website address:
	http://www.probation.homeoffice.gov.uk/output/page32.asp#GuideWwO
	The national standards specific to pre-sentence reports are SS2.5 to SS2.13.
	To monitor each standard routinely would incur disproportionate costs. Area by area compliance with SS2.12, which requires reports to be prepared within the timescale set by the court, is set out in the attachment. In England and Wales in 2005-06 this standard was met in 97 per cent. of cases, exceeding the 90 per cent. target set by the Home Office.
	
		
			  Timeliness of Court Reports July 2005 to March 2006 
			  Probation area  Total provided  Number provided on time  Performance against court's timescale (Percentage) 
			 Avon and Somerset 3,433 3,349 98 
			 Bedfordshire 1,098 1,090 99 
			 Cambridgeshire 1,612 1,584 98 
			 Cheshire 2,481 2,444 99 
			 Cumbria 1,529 1,492 98 
			 Derbyshire 3,007 2,977 99 
			 Devon and Cornwall 3,138 2,926 93 
			 Dorset 1,365 1,306 96 
			 County Durham 2,205 2,108 96 
			 Dyfed/Powys 1,280 1,248 98 
			 Essex 3,485 3,475 100 
			 Gloucestershire 1,201 1,138 95 
			 Greater Manchester 10,037 9,842 98 
			 Gwent 1,491 1,428 96 
			 Hampshire 4,049 3,921 97 
			 Hertfordshire 2,104 2,007 95 
			 Humberside 2,810 2,756 98 
			 Kent 2,797 27,291 98 
			 Lancashire 4,730 4,585 97 
			 Leicestershire and Rutland 3,075 3,028 98 
			 Lincolnshire 1,534 1,530 100 
			 London 15,043 14,594 97 
			 Merseyside 3,695 3,559 96 
			 Norfolk 1,839 1,751 95 
			 North Wales 1,680 1,601 95 
			 North Yorkshire 1,763 1,755 100 
			 Northamptonshire 1,141 1,110 97 
			 Northumbria 4,355 4,240 97 
			 Nottinghamshire 4,569 4,486 98 
			 South Wales 4,992 4,848 97 
			 South Yorkshire 4,461 4,371 98 
			 Staffordshire 2,815 2,734 97 
			 Suffolk 1,079 1,060 98 
			 Surrey 1,471 1,439 98 
			 Sussex 2,673 2,633 99 
			 Teesside 2,411 2,306 96 
			 Thames Valley 2,285 2,198 96 
			 Warwickshire 1,127 1,094 97 
			 West Mercia 1,814 1,659 91 
			 West Midlands 10,654 10,398 98 
			 West Yorkshire 6,702 6,598 98 
			 Wiltshire 1,241 1,178 95 
			 England and Wales 136,271 132,575 97

Prison Service

Geoffrey Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what criteria his Department uses to judge whether a programme demonstrates a lack of understanding and appropriate sensitivity to the diversity agenda of HM Prison Service; and if he will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: All interventions programmes are expected to comply with Prison Service standards, including those set out in the Service's equal opportunities policies. Programmes can only be effective if they address the implications that gender, culture, age, sexuality, ability, nationality, ethnicity, religion, learning style and past and present life experiences have for programme access, participation and outcome.

Prison Service

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many investigations HM Prison Service has commissioned Mr Ron Tasker to carry out since the termination of his employment with the service; and if he will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Ron Tasker has been commissioned by HM Prison Service to carry out one investigation since his retirement from the Service.

Prisons

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prison to prison transfers of prisoners occurred in each year since 2000.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The following table shows the number of prison to prison transfers of prisoners in England and Wales for each financial year from April 2000.
	
		
			  Financial year  Number of transfers 
			 2000 51,336 
			 2001 64,085 
			 2002 71,145 
			 2003 72,746 
			 2004 70,128 
			 2005 68,430 
			 2006 (to July) 23,107

Prisons

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Polish nationals are being held in prisons in England and Wales.

Gerry Sutcliffe: At the end of December 2005, there were 155 Polish national prisoners held in prison establishments in England and Wales.
	This figure has been drawn from administrative IT systems. Although care is taken when processing and analysing the returns, the detail collected is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large scale recording system, and although shown to the last individual the figure may not be accurate to that level.

Prisons

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans there are to increase capacity at HMP Lewes through new construction; what consultation there will be with the local community; and if he will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: holding answer 12 October 2006
	Plans to increase capacity at HMP Lewes by the construction of a new house block are part of the programme to build 8,000 new places, as announced by the Home Secretary in July. In gaining planning consent in 2003, consultation was undertaken with the local authority and community under the terms of planning legislation at the time.
	Planning consent for the ancillary buildings will be sought in compliance with the terms of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990, in which full consultation with the local authority is required. On registration of the planning application, the public will have the opportunity to comment on the proposals and the National Offender Management Service will respond to any concerns.

Prisons

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has discussed with the chief constable of Essex the use of police cells for accommodating remand prisoners or those sentenced to a term in prison.

Gerry Sutcliffe: holding answer 2 October 2006
	The Home Secretary announced to the House of Commons on the 9 October 2006 the activation of Operation Safeguard, a short-term measure enabling the National Offender Management Service to use police cells to accommodate prisoners during exceptional population pressures.
	Initially this will be for the duration of one month. As a result of its proximity to London, where the need for prison places is most necessary, the chief constable of Essex was consulted and Essex police force will be providing prison places under of Operation Safeguard.

Prisons

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of  (a) governor grade staff,  (b) governing governors,  (c) Prison Service Area Managers and  (d) Prison Service Management Board are (i) (A) practising and (B) non-practising (1) Church of England, (2) Roman Catholic, (3) non-conformist Christian (4) Hindu, (5) Muslim, (6) Sikh and (ii) non-affiliated; and if he will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: This information is not collected and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost

Prisons

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of inmates were returned from Category D establishments to closed condition in each region as a consequence of drug issues in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: This information is not held centrally and could be obtained from individual records only at disproportionate cost.

Prisons

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what restrictions there are on publications received by prisoners.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The authority to withhold or withdraw any published material rests with the governor. Action will be taken if the governor considers that the content presents a threat to the good order or discipline of the prison; that it would have an adverse effect on the prisoner; or in the wider interests of national security.

Respect Task Force

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what criteria were used by the Respect Task Force to select the 27 areas across the country eligible for additional funding to help tackle the misuse of mini motorbikes;
	(2)  what research was conducted by the Respect Task Force before deciding which areas would be allocated the additional funding to help tackle the misuse of mini motorbikes;
	(3)  which local authorities were invited to bid for the additional funding provided by the Respect Task Force to tackle anti-social use of mini motorbikes;
	(4)  what measures will be used to evaluate the effectiveness of the additional funding provided by the Respect Task Force to tackle the anti-social use of mini motorbikes;
	(5)  what criteria were used to decide the amount of additional funding given to the areas selected by the Respect Task Force to help tackle the anti-social use of mini motorbikes;
	(6)  what discussions the Respect Task Force had with local authorities in the Black Country when deciding upon which areas would be eligible for the additional funding to help tackle the anti-social use of mini motorbikes;
	(7)  what discussions the Respect Task Force had with police in the Black Country when deciding upon which areas would be eligible for the additional funding to help tackle the anti-social use of mini motorbikes.

Tony McNulty: Communities, local authorities and the police have identified the illegal use of mini motos as a major problem and have raised this with the Respect Task Force.
	As part of an awareness-raising campaign about action that can be taken anywhere to tackle the antisocial and illegal use of mini motos in public spaces, the Respect Task Force made some limited funding available for an education and enforcement campaign over the summer. With funds restricted to around 10,000 per area, the Respect Task Force invited its trailblazer and action areas (List 1) to bid for financial support. Both Wolverhampton and Sandwell in the Black Country were contacted.
	Bids were assessed on the capacity of police to deploy extra policing in hotspot areas and to deliver an information campaign to better inform parents and children about the laws governing mini motos.
	Money was allocated to 28 areas (List 2) who responded to the invitation and who demonstrated a joint commitment by the local authority and police to tackle a locally identified mini moto problem. In some cases, police were able to extend their campaign beyond the local authority action or trailblazer areas. Neither Wolverhampton nor Sandwell submitted bids to the Respect Task Force.
	The campaign has provided information to children and parents, supported frontline staff through the purchase of police trial bikes, cameras and the use of signposts and barriers to prevent mini moto access to public places.
	Participating areas collected data throughout the campaign such as use of powers, number of complaints, community impact and successes of the operation in order to gauge the impact of the campaign. These data are currently being evaluated by the Respect Task Force.
	The Respect Task Force is committed to supporting any area experiencing problems with mini motos. We have produced guidance to practitioners on tackling mini moto misuse and a leaflet for the public and retailers. In addition, help for any practitioner is provided through our action line and website and the Respect Task Force can also facilitate action days in individual areas to train and inform practitioners and the police about how to tackle a wide range of antisocial behaviour.
	 List 1: Trailblazers and Action Areas
	 East of England
	Great Yarmouth
	Harlow
	Ipswich
	Norwich
	Peterborough
	Southend on Sea
	Tendring
	Watford
	 South East:
	Brighton
	Canterbury
	Dover
	Hastings
	Oxford
	Portsmouth
	Reading
	Slough
	Southampton
	 South West:
	Bournemouth
	Bristol
	Exeter
	Gloucester
	Plymouth
	Swindon
	 East Midlands:
	Derby
	Leicester
	Northampton
	Nottingham
	West Midlands:
	Birmingham
	Coventry
	Sandwell
	Wolverhampton
	 North West:
	Blackburn
	Bolton
	Burnley
	Chester
	Liverpool
	Manchester
	Oldham
	Salford
	Wirral
	 North East:
	Easington
	Gateshead
	Middlesbrough
	Newcastle upon Tyne
	South Tyneside
	Sunderland
	 Yorkshire and Humberside:
	Doncaster
	Hull
	Kirklees
	Leeds
	Sheffield
	Wakefield
	York
	 Wales:
	Cardiff
	Newport
	Swansea
	 London:
	Camden
	Hackney
	Southwark
	Westminster
	 List 2: List of areas who received funding for the summer mini moto enforcement campaign
	Birmingham
	Blackburn
	Camden
	Cheshire Police (Halton)
	Chester
	Coventry
	Derby
	Gateshead
	Gloucester
	Harlow
	Hull
	Kent Police
	Liverpool
	Manchester
	Mansfield
	Newcastle upon Tyne
	Newport
	Oldham
	Reading
	Salford
	Slough
	Southend on Sea
	South Tyneside
	Sunderland
	Tendring
	Wakefield
	West Cumbria BCU
	York

Staff Absenteeism

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many working days have been lost to the Department and its executive agencies in each year since 1997 due to staff absenteeism, expressed as the average annual number of absent days per employee; and what the estimated cost to the Department and its agencies of absenteeism was in each year.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 19 June 2006
	Information on the average number of working days lost per person and estimated cost of absence since 1997-98 is contained in the following table.
	
		
			  Home Office 
			   Working days lost per person  Estimated cost ( million)  Cost at 2005-06 salary levels 
			 2000-01 6.7 6.9 11.8 
			 2001-02 8 9.1 15 
			 2002-03 7.9 13. 4 21.2 
			 2003-04 8 14.6 21.8 
			 2004-05 8.6  21.5 
			 2005-06 (1)9.1  (2)25.6 
		
	
	
		
			  Agencies: HM prison service 
			   Working days lost per person  Estimated cost ( million) 
			 1997-98 15.9 76 
			 1998-99 15.5 77 
			 1999-00 14.6 75 
			 2000-01 14.9 78 
			 2001-02 14.6 77 
			 2002-03 14.7 80 
			 2003-04 13.3 75 
			 2004-05 12.7 77 
		
	
	
		
			  Criminal Records Bureau (formerly part of UKPS) 
			   Working days lost per person  Estimated cost ( million) 
			 2003-04 10.9 0.05 
			 2004-05 9.6 0.04 
			 (1 )Figures for Home Office for 2004-05 and 2005-06 exclude IDPS agency figures otherwise included in the published definition. (2 )This figure does not include the Identity  Passport Service.  Sources: For Home Office figuresCabinet Office 'Analysis of Sick Absence in the Civil Service', Prison Service 'The Management of Sickness Absence in the Prison Service' 2004 and National Audit Office.

Student Visas

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have received student visas in the last five years from language colleges that have subsequently been identified by his Department as providing false information.

Liam Byrne: We do not keep records of students who have attended institutions that have been removed from the DfES register based on false information.
	Currently student visas do not tie the individual to a particular institution. This situation will change under the points based system when education establishments will act as sponsors and we will therefore know, should we need to take action against any of the institutions on our sponsor register, exactly how many and which students they are currently sponsoring.
	The introduction of the points based system also offers the opportunity for us to tackle abuse through the system of sponsorship. We will require independent accreditation of institutions wishing to recruit international students and require institutions to report those students who do not enrol or cease to attend. At present institutions do not have to report non-enrolment.

Thbian Salim

David Maclean: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he plans to take to deport Mr Thbian Salim.

Liam Byrne: I wrote to the right hon. Member on 22 August 2006.

Tipping Point Target

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidance he has issued to the Immigration and Nationality Directorate relating to the Government's Tipping Point target.

Liam Byrne: The Tipping Point target, to remove more failed asylum seekers than the number who are predicted to be granted leave, was set by the Prime Minister in the autumn of 2004. IND officials produced a delivery strategy that focused on further reducing asylum intake while increasing the number of removals.
	No specific guidance was issued to IND about this target.
	Details about the independently assessed methodology for assessing the Tipping Point were published on the IND website on 23 May 2006.

Visas

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many individuals have received a visa under the Fresh Talent initiative in Scotland in each of the first 12 months of the scheme; and how many are  (a) resident,  (b) not resident and  (c) in employment.

Liam Byrne: A total of 1,657 individuals were granted leave to remain in the United Kingdom under the Fresh Talent initiative in Scotland in the first 12 months of the scheme. This is broken down in the table below by  (a) resident in Scotland (at the time of the grant), and  (b) non resident in Scotland (at the time of the grant).
	Information is not available regarding the number of individuals who were in employment at the time of the grant of leave to remain.
	
		
			   (a) Resident  (b) Non resident 
			  2005   
			 June 19 0 
			 July 53 5 
			 August 94 7 
			 September 110 10 
			 October 181 7 
			 November 245 9 
			 December 260 7 
			
			  2006   
			 January 366 8 
			 February 111 5 
			 March 70 2 
			 April 30 4 
			 May 51 3 
			 Total 1,590 67 
		
	
	This information has not been quality assured, and is not a national statistic. It should be treated as provisional management information and may be subject to change.

Volatile Substances (Convictions)

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many antisocial behaviour orders have been enforced against volatile substance abusers since their introduction.

Tony McNulty: Data collated centrally for statistical purposes do not identify the circumstances that led to the issuing of an ASBO.

Volatile Substances (Convictions)

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many  (a) prosecutions and  (b) convictions there have been under the Cigarette Lighter Refill (Safety) Regulations 1999 in each of the last three years.

Tony McNulty: Information collected centrally does not separately identify offences under the Cigarette Lighter Refill (Safety) Regulations 1999.

Volatile Substances (Convictions)

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what analysis has been made of the blueprint programme on volatile substance abusers.

Vernon Coaker: The blueprint drugs education programme is designed to evaluate the effectiveness of a multi-component approach to school-based drug education. The programme was delivered in spring term 2004 and 2005 to 4,500 pupils in 23 schools in the North West and East Midlands regions. The programme is currently being evaluated to determine its impact on all drug use, including volatile substances, among the study cohort. The final impact report is due December 2007.

Volatile Substances (Convictions)

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of young offenders when assessed on arrival at a young offender institution have admitted using volatile substances in the last period for which figures are available.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The information requested is not held centrally.

Welsh Language

Elfyn Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether his Department has adopted a Welsh language policy.

Liam Byrne: The Home Office has developed a Welsh language policy and this will be officially launched on 1 November 2006.

Work Permits

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how changes to the qualifying periods for indefinite leave to remain which took effect from 3 April were communicated to existing holders of work permits; and when this communication was undertaken.

Liam Byrne: The intention to increase the qualifying period for indefinite leave to remain was first announced in February 2005, when the document Controlling Our Borders: Making Migration Work For Britain was published and presented to Parliament.
	A notice was placed on the Home Office's Working in the UK website, on 14 March 2006, advising customers that revisions to the existing immigration rules, effective on 3 April 2006, would increase the qualifying period for individuals entering or already in the UK within 'employment categories', from four to five years. This notice included a question and answer brief for customers. A revised website notice reflecting the most up-to-date position continues to be available on the Working in the UK website.
	On 14 March, a letter detailing the impacts of the 3 April immigration rules changes was also issued directly to a number of key stakeholders identified by the Home Office's immigration and nationality directorate (IND). These 'stakeholders' included employers and employer representatives, Work Permits (UK) Sector Panel and User Panel representatives, including members of the Immigration Law Practitioners' Association (ILPA), and relevant trade unions and other Government Departments.
	The potential implications of these changes were also highlighted at stakeholder events run by IND during March of this year.

Workers Registration Scheme

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he plans to include a requirement to disclose criminal convictions on future documentation in respect of the Workers Registration Scheme; and if he will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 10 July 2006
	The Workers Registration Scheme regulates access to the UK labour market in accordance with the worker derogation in the Act of Accession and has enabled us to monitor the impact of enlargement on the UK labour market. The current information requirements have produced sufficient information for the purpose of the scheme, but its provisions are kept under review.

XHIBIT IT System

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the XHIBIT IT system; and if he will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: Implementation of the eXchanging Hearing Information By Internet Technology (XHIBIT) application in 99 Crown court sites across England and Wales was completed in March 2006. The system is performing well and is meeting its performance targets for availability.
	The XHIBIT application was reviewed by Cranfield university's Proving Services as part of the 2004 Spending Review CJS IT Portfolio Prioritisation exercise and was found to meet the specified standards for attractiveness and achievability.
	Expenditure and deliverables for the XHIBIT system are agreed as part of the CJS IT Programme Delivery Plan, which is approved annually by the Home Secretary, the Lord Chancellor, the Attorney General, the Minister with responsibility for the CJS and the Director General of Criminal Justice IT.
	An Office of Government Commerce Gateway five review (Benefits Evaluation) was undertaken in November 2005.

HEALTH

Affordable Spectacles

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps she is taking to ensure that opticians' practices carry a range of spectacles affordable with an NHS voucher of maximum value.

Rosie Winterton: holding answer 16 October 2006
	The range of spectacles carried by an optician's practice is not within the scope of the national health service (NHS) general ophthalmic services contract. However, the system of NHS optical vouchers is designed to give patients maximum choice in deciding where to purchase spectacles and thereby promote access to a wide range of spectacles.
	The system of NHS optical vouchers provides help in buying spectacles or lenses for children, those on low incomes and individuals requiring complex lenses. The voucher scheme gives eligible patients flexibility over which spectacles or lenses to choose. Patients are able to take their voucher to the provider of their choice so are able to shop around from a wide range of providers to obtain the spectacles. The scheme also gives patients flexibility to top up the voucher value (if they wish) to obtain more expensive frames of their choice.

Alcohol-related Disease

Susan Kramer: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many incidences of alcohol-related illness have been treated within the NHS in  (a) Greater London and  (b) England in each year since 2000.

Caroline Flint: Information is provided in the tables.
	
		
			  Incidences of alcohol-related illness that have been treated within the national health service in Greater London in each year since 2000( 1) 
			  Data year  Number of finished consultant episodes for all SHAs  Number of finished consultant episodes for Greater London SHAs 
			 2005-06 provisional 75,021 12,329 
			 2004-05 68,671 10,740 
			 2003-04 60,652 8,846 
			 2002-03 54,138 7,701 
			 2001-02 51,754 6,715 
			 2000-01 49,349 6,247 
			 (1) Total number of finished consultant episodes for diagnosis codes (F10 Mental and behavioural disorders due to alcohol; K70 Alcoholic liver disease; T51 Toxic effect of alcohol) for all years since 2000 
		
	
	
		
			  Incidences of alcohol-related illness that have been treated within the NHS in England in each year since 2000( 1) 
			  Strategic HA of treatment  SHA description  2005-06 provisional  2004-05  2003-04  2002-03  2001-02  2000-01 
			 Q01 Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire 3,463 3,224 2,738 2,267 2,145 2,157 
			 Q02 Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire 1,012 1109 1,049 942 925 737 
			 Q03 Essex 1,561 1,437 1,120 989 951 867 
			 Q04 North West London 2,912 2,305 1,951 1,760 1,655 1,304 
			 Q05 North Central London 2,103 1,828 1,386 1,358 1,060 1,052 
			 Q06 North East London 2,122 1,828 1,697 1,376 1,316 1002 
			 Q07 South East London 3,426 3,249 2,506 2,158 1,707 1,867 
			 Q08 South West London 1,766 1,530 1,306 1,049 977 1,022 
			 Q09 Northumberland, Tyne and Wear 2,710 2,552 2,287 2,224 2,105 1,918 
			 Q10 County Durham and Tees Valley 1,821 1,807 1,802 1,386 982 972 
			 Q11 North and East Yorkshire and Northern Lincolnshire 1,910 1,748 1,683 1,390 1,568 1,563 
			 Q12 West Yorkshire 2,788 2,360 2,439 2,274 2,231 2,192 
			 Q13 Cumbria and Lancashire 3,099 3,068 2,860 2,693 1,816 1,120 
			 Q14 Greater Manchester 5,840 5,272 4,328 3,725 2,874 2,153 
			 Q15 Cheshire and Merseyside 7,525 6,808 6,225 5,743 5,584 4,630 
			 Q16 Thames Valley 1,796 1,719 1,406 1,309 1,273 1,036 
			 Q17 Hampshire and Isle of Wight 2,364 2,315 1,996 1,851 1,324 1,198 
			 Q18 Kent and Medway 1,559 1,460 1,233 1,105 854 838 
			 Q19 Surrey and Sussex 2,777 2,635 2,142 2,209 1,130 1,019 
			 Q20 Avon, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire 2,896 2,559 2,138 1,799 1,130 1,127 
			 Q21 South West Peninsula 2,528 2,296 2,346 2,017 1,837 1,492 
			 Q22 Dorset and Somerset 1,368 1,199 1,050 1,031 1,000 950 
			 Q23 South Yorkshire 2,114 2,126 1,767 1,519 1,332 1,171 
			 Q24 Trent 3,673 3,403 3,045 2,532 2,420 2,335 
			 Q25 Leicestershire, Northamptonshire and Rutland 2,086 1,543 1,458 1,160 955 1,006 
			 Q26 Shropshire and Staffordshire 1,799 1,740 1,708 1,424 1,138 1,164 
			 Q27 Birmingham and the Black Country 4,092 3,565 3,387 3,246 2,475 2,391 
			 Q28 West Midlands South 1,907 1,982 1,599 1,602 1,048 1,198 
			 Y Unknown 4 4   5,942 7,870 
			 
			 Total for all SHAs  75,021 68,671 60,652 54,138 51,754 49,349 
			 Total for Greater London SHAs  12,329 10,740 8,846 7,701 6,715 6,247 
			 (1) Total number of finished consultant episodes for diagnosis codes (F10 Mental and behavioural disorders due to alcohol; K70 Alcoholic liver disease; T51 Toxic effect of alcohol) by strategic health authority for all years since 2000   Source:  Hospital Episode Statistics, The Information Centre for Health and Social Care

Alzheimer's Drugs

Roger Gale: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether general practitioners will continue to be able to prescribe Alzheimer's drugs based upon their professional clinical judgment.

Andy Burnham: The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE)'s final appraisal determination (FAD) states that only specialists in the care of people with dementia (that is, psychiatrists including those specialising in learning disability, neurologists, and physicians specialising in the care of the elderly) should initiate treatment.
	The prescribing of Aricept, Exelon and Reminyl as set out in NICE'S FAD is consistent with NICE'S earlier guidance of 2001.

Best Practice

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what mechanisms the NHS has for communicating  (a) problems and  (b) incidents at a hospital so that lessons can be learned by all NHS hospitals.

Andy Burnham: In relation to patient safety, the national health service has a number of mechanisms to identify problems and incidents at a hospital and then to communicate the lessons learned widely to healthcare organisations, including NHS hospitals. Mechanisms used to identify and communicate problems and incidents, and also to communicate the lessons learned, include:
	local internal arrangements and procedures for reporting patient safety incidents and system failures, which will then be reported nationally to the National Patient Safety Agency (NPSA) via the national reporting and learning system (NRLS);
	the feedback provided to the NHS by the NPSA so that lessons can be learned. The NPSA publishes (i) analysis of the reports of patient safety incidents that have been collected on the NRLS, (ii) patient safety alerts and safer practice notices, and it provides (iii) an extranet facility which allows trusts to view their own reporting rates and benchmark these against similar organisations;
	reporting serious patient safety incidents either to the strategic health authority, the primary care trust, or Monitor in respect of foundation trusts, and to the NPSA;
	a report of any investigation undertaken by the Healthcare Commission; and
	alerts issued to the NHS or to healthcare professionals using the safety alert and broadcast system or the public health link system.

Blood Centres

Robert Wareing: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what consultations she has had with  (a) Amicus and  (b) other NHS trade unions on the future of blood centres in England;
	(2)  how many blood centres there are in England; and if she will make a statement on their future.

Caroline Flint: National health service Blood and Transplant (NHSBT), of which the National Blood Service (NBS) is an operating division, is currently developing a strategic plan to address how NHSBT must adapt to the challenges it faces in a rapidly changing health service and to continue to deliver the high quality services that patients need.
	Over the last year, NHSBT has been communicating with unions and staff about these challenges. There have been many contacts with staff representatives, including Amicus during this period. The national joint staff consultative committee has met a number of times this year and there have also been meetings at national level, involving staff representatives and senior NHSBT executives and the chairman.
	As part of NHSBTs commitment to keep staff and staff representatives informed, the NBS indicated last month that its current view was to rationalise processing and testing into three main centres. These draft proposals will not impact upon the service to hospitals and there are no proposals to close any blood donation sessions. The NBS will continue to provide critical services to hospitals (such as continuing to have a network of local blood banks to meet orders for blood) and is looking to broaden the choice of places where people can donate.
	The NBS currently has 15 centres from where it distributes blood to hospitals, and reconfiguration of these will be considered in the strategic proposals. The NBS will continue to maintain a network of centres, hold stocks and issue blood to hospitals from near to or in most of its current locations. These proposals will be presented to the NHSBT board later this year and build on a series of communications to staff and staff representatives about the future of the NBS.
	In July, the NHSBT chairman and chief executive briefed the full time staff side officers on the challenges facing NHSBT this was subsequently communicated to other staff representatives and staff. This briefing included that the NBS expected to work towards a network of fewer, larger processing sites.
	NHSBT continues to meet and discus these plans with staff representatives, including Amicus. In addition, there will be a programme of discussions with staff representatives as detailed plans are developed over the three year period of the strategic plan.
	NHSBT also contacted those hon. Members who have a blood centre in their constituency, on 7 July 2006.
	NHSBT remains committed to keeping all those with an interest, including hon. Members informed of developments.

Care Homes

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent research she has  (a) initiated and  (b) evaluated on the ability of care homes to meet the national minimum standards on medication and the care of the elderly; and if she will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: The Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI) published a report on medication standards in care, Handled with care?, in February 2006. Copies have been placed in the Library. The report shows that 88 per cent. of care homes for older people meet or almost meet the national minimum standards on medication management. The Department is pleased that so many care homes either meet or almost meet the medication standards. However, work still needs to be done.
	Handled with care? makes a number of recommendations on issues such as staff training and the development and monitoring of patientsto safeguard patients from abuse through medication mismanagement and to maximise their wellbeing. CSCI is working collaboratively and supportively with providers to improve care home performance.

Child Care

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many child care places are  (a) provided on NHS premises and  (b) subsidised by the NHS.

Ivan Lewis: holding answer 16 October 2006
	This information is no longer collected centrally.
	Responsibility for child care has been devolved to the national health service because local employers are best placed to target resources on child care needs of their local work force.

Coventry Primary Care Trust

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what discussions her Department has had with Coventry Teaching Primary Care Trust on its recent redundancy announcements;
	(2)  what discussions her Department has had with Coventry Primary Care Trust's  (a) financial recovery plan and  (b) plans for a 15 per cent. management cost saving by 2007-08.

Andy Burnham: The Department has had no such discussions.

Flu Inoculations

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many pensioners were inoculated against influenza in each year since their introduction in each  (a) local health authority area and  (b) constituency.

Caroline Flint: The information is not available in the format requested Data on influenza vaccination uptake is collected for each Primary Care Trust. This has been placed in the Library and is available on the internet at: www.immunisation.nhs.uk/article.php?id=448.

Health Visitors/Community Nurses

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many  (a) community nursing posts and  (b) health visitor posts in each health authority are frozen.

Rosie Winterton: This information is not collected centrally.

Hospital Staff (Parking Charges)

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many  (a) hospitals and  (b) trusts charge their staff for car parking; what the average cost is to a member of staff per year; and if she will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: Information is not collected centrally on how many hospitals or trusts charge their staff for car parking, nor the average costs to members of staff.

In-patient Stays

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the mean length of stay was for patients admitted to hospital in each year since 1990; and what the mean length of stay was for patients admitted to hospital in 2004-05, broken down by NHS trust.

Andy Burnham: The information has been placed in the Library.

Local Authority Overview and Security Panels

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  if she will list the reconfiguration of health service proposals which have been referred to her by local authority overview and scrutiny panels;
	(2)  which cases referred to her by local authority overview and scrutiny panels she has referred to the independent reconfiguration panels;
	(3)  which reconfiguration of health service proposals referred to her by local authority overview and scrutiny panels she has  (a) upheld and  (b) rejected.

Andy Burnham: The information requested is as follows:
	To date there have been 17 referrals by Overview and Scrutiny Committees to the Secretary of State. There was also a referral from East Kent CHC in 2003 under the old CHC Regulations.
	 East Kent CHC : Proposals for changes to/transfer of services between sites within the East Kent Hospitals Trust
	Referred: April 2002
	Ministers sought advice from Independent Reconfiguration Panel
	Outcome: Ministerial decision to support local NHS
	 1. Wiltshire OSC: Closure of maternity services at 2 community hospitals
	Referred: October 2004
	Outcome: Proposals withdrawn by PCT in favour of wide-ranging review of community services
	 2. Hampshire OSC: Configuration of Health Services in South-East Hampshire
	Referred: January 2005
	Outcome: Ministerial decision to support local NHS without referral to IRP
	 3. Merton OSC: The choice of location for a new critical care hospital
	Referred: March 2005
	Outcome: Ministerial decision for new hospital site at St Helier (not Sutton as local NHS proposed). SofS decision subsequently withdrawn at request of London SHA who are undertaking a review of the proposals
	 4. South Gloucestershire Council: Future location of acute hospital
	Referred: July 2005
	Outcome: Ministerial decision to support local NHS without referral to IRP
	 5. Wirral OSC: Closure of 2 wards at Victoria Central Hospital, Wirral
	Referred: July 2005
	Outcome: Ministerial decision to support local NHS without referral to IRP
	 6. Lincolnshire OSC: Lincolnshire NHS Recovery Plan
	Referred: July 2005
	Outcome: Ministerial decision to refer case back to local NHS for it to reach local agreement with OSC
	 7. Surrey OSC: Proposed changes to the provision of services provided by Guildford and Waverley PCT
	Referred: October 2005
	Outcome: Ministers requested Independent Reconfiguration Panel involvement to help broker agreement between OSC and local NHS although case was not formerly referred to the IRP
	 8. Cambridgeshire OSC; proposed variation in Mental Health Services in Cambridge City and South Cambridgeshire
	Referred: February 2006
	Outcome: Support the local NHS without referral to the IRP
	 9. Suffolk OSC: Decision of Suffolk East PCT to close community hospitals, reduce the number of inpatient step down beds, and introduce an intermediate model of care
	Referred: March 2006
	Outcome: Support the local NHS with the exception of proposals for Hartismere Hospital where SofS requested local NHS develop further the proposals.
	 10. Gloucestershire OSC: Decision by Cotswold and Vale Primary Care Trust to close inpatient facilities at Fairford Community Hospital and Tetbury Community Hospital
	Referred: March 2006
	Outcome: Ministerial decision to support local NHS without referral to the IRP
	 11. Calderdale and Kirklees Joint OSC: Proposed changes to maternity services in Calderdale and Huddersfield
	Referred: April 2006
	Outcome: Case referred to the Independent Reconfiguration Panel for advice. Ministerial decision to accept IRP's advice and support the local NHS
	 12. Hertfordshire Health Scrutiny Committee: Proposals for Mental Health and Learning Disability Savings by the Hertfordshire Primary Care Trusts
	Referred: May 2006
	Outcome: Support the local NHS (proposal to withdraw Early Intervention Services was withdrawn by local NHS) without referral to the IRP
	 13. Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council Health Select Committee: Review of acute services on Teesside
	Referred: July 2006
	Case referred to the Independent Reconfiguration Panel on 22 September
	Outcome: to be confirmed
	 14. Joint OSC representing Durham County, Hartlepool, Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire County, Redcar and Cleveland and Stockton-On-Tees : Review of acute services on Teesside.
	Referred: July 2006
	Case referred to the Independent Reconfiguration Panel on 22 September.
	Outcome: to be confirmed
	 15. Ealing Council Health, Housing and Adult Social services Scrutiny Panel: Referral of consultation by the Royal Free Hampstead NHS Trust on the future of the Nuffield Speech and Language Unit
	Referred: July 20
	Outcome: Support the local NHS without referral to the IRP
	 16. Lambeth and Southwark Joint OSC: Proposals to reconfigure local mental health crisis care
	Referred: August 20
	Outcome: to be confirmed
	 17. Suffolk OSC: Referral of the decisions of Suffolk West PCT to close community hospitals, remove the provision of inpatient step-down beds, and rush the introduction of the intermediate model of care
	Referred: October 2006
	Outcome: to be confirmed

Medical Pilot Schemes

Alex Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many medical pilot schemes are being conducted by NHS trusts.

Caroline Flint: Tables have been placed in the Library, which show the number of personal medical services practices by primary care trust as at 30 September 2005. Personal medical services pilot schemes introduced from April 1998 ceased in their pilot form from March 2004 to become a permanent local contracting option for primary medical services from April 2004.

Misdiagnosis

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cases were reported to the National Patient Safety Agency related to  (a) the misdiagnosis of a patient's symptoms and  (b) surgical error in each year for which statistics are available.

Andy Burnham: The National Patient Safety Agency collects reports of patient safety incidents on the National Reporting and Learning System (NRLS). All national health service trusts have been able to report into this system since late 2005 and the number of reports received each year has increased as more trusts report into the system. Statistics are available for 2004, 2005 and for January-September 2006. Staff usually report patient safety incidents before any further investigation or follow-up has taken place.
	
		
			  Diagnosis related incidents by calendar year 
			  Time period  Number of diagnosis related incidents reported  Total number of incidents reported to the NRLS 
			 January-December 2004 167 38,702 
			 January-December 2005 2,245 408,954 
			 January-September 2006 3,370 526,863 
			  Note:  Over 75 per cent. of incidents reported caused 'no harm' or 'low harm' in the view of the person completing the incident report.  Search criteria: To find incidents relating to misdiagnosis, the NRLS was searched to find reports where the incident type was labelled as 'Clinical assessment' with a further description of the incident type as 'Diagnosisdelay/failure to' or 'Diagnosiswrong'. The terms used were intended to find reports that were directly related to clinical diagnosis and may not include diagnosis-related incidents classified under other incident category types. 
		
	
	
		
			  Surgical specialty related incidents 
			  Time period  Number of incidents reported relating to a surgical speciality (excluding incidents described as 'patient accidents')  Total number of incidents reported to the NRLS 
			 January-December 2004 830 38,702 
			 January-December 2005 7,644 408,954 
			 January-September 2006 11,660 526,863 
			  Note:  Over 85 per cent. of incidents reported caused 'no harm' or 'low harm' in the view of the person completing the incident report.  Search criteria: To find incidents relating to surgical error, the NRLS was searched to find reports where the incident specialty was described as 'Surgical specialties' and the incident type was classified as Treatment, procedure.

Mortuary Security

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidelines the Department has provided to NHS hospitals in relation to mortuary security; and if she will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: In August 2006 the Department published Care and Respect in Death: Good Practice Guidance for NHS Mortuary Staff. A service that is safe and secure is one of the eight key principles of good practice it sets out for all staff working in NHS mortuaries. The guidance states that
	managing the receipt, storage and release of deceased people and their property safely, securely, efficiently, effectively and appropriately is the core business of mortuary services
	and gives advice on developing a pro-security culture in NHS mortuaries.
	The national health service security management service (NHS SMS), which has had responsibility for the security of staff, property and assets in the NHS since April 2003, contributed to the development of the guidance. In addition, the NHS SMS has included a chapter on mortuary security in its NHS security management manual, which has been made available to all security management directors and local security management specialists in the NHS.
	The guidance has been placed in the Library.

NHS Finances

Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many strategic health authorities notified local NHS trusts  (a) Medical and Dental Education Levy and  (b) increment for teaching funding levels for 2006-07 after the start of the financial year; and if she will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: This information is not collected centrally.
	Education and training budgets are allocated to strategic health authorities (SHAs) in the form of the multi professional education and training levy. This includes funding for the medical and dental education levy and service increment for training budgets.
	SHAs were given indicative multi professional education and training allocations prior to the start of the 2006-07 financial year in order for them to plan their training investment and to engage in discussions with trusts about local priorities for the use of their resources.
	Final allocations to SHAs were issued on 26 July 2006. It is up to each SHA to determine the distribution across their area.

NHS Staff

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many national health service staff are disabled.

Rosie Winterton: This information is not collected centrally.

NHS Staff

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what procedures are in place to discipline NHS staff who do not observe health and safety standards.

Rosie Winterton: National health service employers are responsible for their own disciplinary procedures. However, under the Directions on Disciplinary Procedures 2005, all NHS bodies in England are required to implement the framework covering disciplinary procedures for doctors and dentists employed in the NHS agreed between the Department, British Medical Association and British Dental Association. This framework has been issued to NHS foundation trusts as advice.

Out-patient Admissions

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients failed to attend for out-patient admission in each NHS trust in each of the last five years.

Andy Burnham: The information on the number of patients who fail to attend for outpatient admission in each national health service trust is not collected centrally.
	However, the total number of missed out-patient appointments in each NHS trust, not necessarily the same as the number of patients because some patients may have missed more than one appointment has been placed in the Library.

Parliamentary Questions

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when she will reply to question 76611 tabled by the hon. Member for Portsmouth, South on 12 June.

Rosie Winterton: A reply was given on 12 September, printed on 13 September 2006,  Official Report, column 2281W.

Psychologists

Mark Hunter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many clinical psychologists were  (a) in post and  (b) in training in NHS establishments in each of the last five years;
	(2)  what steps are being taken to increase the number of clinical psychologists.

Rosie Winterton: Since 2001 the number of clinical psychologists in the national health service has risen by 1,608 (29 per cent.) to 7,122 and the number of training places has increased by 157 (37 per cent.) to 582. The numbers in post have increased by over 3,000 since 1997. It is for local services to determine how many clinical psychology staff they require to meet local service needs.
	The tables show the number of clinical psychologists in post and in training in each of the last five years.
	
		
			  Clinical psychologists, England 
			   Headcount 
			 2005 7,122 
			 2004 7,051 
			 2003 6,757 
			 2002 6,092 
			 2001 5,514 
			  Source:  The annual NHS workforce census. 
		
	
	
		
			  Clinical psychology training commissions, England 
			   Number 
			 2005-06 582 
			 2004-05 569 
			 2003-04 510 
			 2002-03 500 
			 2001-02 425 
			  Source:  Quarterly Monitoring Returns.

Tattoos

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many tattoos were removed by the national health service in 2005.

Rosie Winterton: There were 187,086 tattoos removed from April 2004 to March 2005.
	Plastic surgery is undertaken in the national health service to correct defects arising from diseases and condition such as trauma or cancer, to correct congenital defects or to restore function, including the necessary correction of any previous cosmetic operations. Cosmetic surgery is not available on the NHS for beautification purposes but it may be undertaken to secure physical or mental health. Surgery may be undertaken to remove tattoos, where it is to secure mental health well-being.

Tuberculosis Research Strategy

Edward Vaizey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made towards establishing a national audit of treatment failures and deaths from tuberculosis.

Caroline Flint: The Health Protection Agency are currently improving their enhanced tuberculosis surveillance system to provide more accurate data and analysis on treatment outcome. These data will be used to inform the development of a national audit of treatment failures, which is currently under consideration.
	A summary of the results of monitoring for treatment outcomes for cases of tuberculosis reported in 2003 in England, Wales and Northern Ireland was published in the Communicable Disease Report Weekly on 13 July 2006. A copy has been placed in the Library and is available on the Health Protection Agency's website at www.hpa.org.uk/cdr/archives/2006/cdr2806.pdf. Data for 2004 is scheduled to be published in November 2006.
	Data on deaths are provided by the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Tables have been placed in the Library and are available on the HPA website at www.hpa.org.uk/infections/topics_az/tb/epidemiology/tables.htm#mort. These data are updated by ONS annually, usually in the first quarter of the following year.

Working Time Directive

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what her assessment is of the impact of the European Working Time Directive on health services in Gloucestershire.

Rosie Winterton: The Government agreed to implement the European Working Time Directive (WTD) as United Kingdom legislation to improve the health and safety and working lives of all employees. The vast majority of staff groups have been covered by the 48-hour week since 1998. The Government negotiated an extension to the WTD for doctors in training to enable phased implementation from August 2004.
	Local national health service trusts are responsible for assessing the impact of the European Working Time Directive as part of their health and safety obligations. And while implementation of the European Working Time Directive is the responsibility of local NHS trusts, the Department of Health in England continues to work with the health professions and NHS employers to provide joint guidance and support to local organisations including sharing learning from previous lessons learned, and funding new pilot projects in support of the full implementation of doctors in training from August 2009.